Reg. No. 2. All penalties, levied agreeably to these regulations, to be for the use of Her Majesty, in part payment for the police expenses of this government.
Section 5.
Of the manner in which seamen or others on board British ships are to seek redress.
Reg. No. 1. Any person having a complaint of ill usage to proceed respectfully to the commander, or commanding officers, and to request to be allowed to repair on shore to the office of the magistrate; and, failing redress by that means, to forward a letter to the head of the government, in order that such present inquiry and remedy may be had as the case demands.
Given under my hand and seal of office at Macao, this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
Charles Elliot,
H. M. Plenipotentiary,
Charged with the government of the island of Hongkong.
Hongkong, May 1st, 1841.
A gazette will be published, under the authority of the Government of this Island, at half-monthly periods from this date, with a view to afford greater publicity to the general orders that may from time to time be issued by the officers of the British government.
The sheet will be filled up, when it is found necessary, by the insertion of such statistical returns and other public documents as shall be deemed valuable or interesting.
Your majesty's slave, Keshen, minister of the Inner Council, and acting governor of the two Kwang,—kneeling presents this respectful memorial,—setting forth, how that the English foreigners have dispatched a person to Chekeäng province to deliver back Tinghae,—how that they have restored to us the forts of Shakok and Taikok, in the province of Kwangtung, along with the vessels of war and salt-junks which they had previously captured, all which have been duly received back,—and how that the war ships of these foreigners have already retired to the outer waters:—all these facts, along with his observations upon the military position of the country, its means of offence and defence, the quality of its soldiery, and the disposition of its people, observations resulting from personal investigation,—he now lays before your imperial majesty, praying that a sacred glance may be bestowed upon the same.
Previously to the receipt of your majesty's sovereign commands, your slave had, with a view to preserve the territory and the lives of the people, ventured,—rashly and forgetful of his ignorance,—to make certain conditional concessions to the English foreigners, promising that he would earnestly implore in their behalf a gracious manifestation of imperial goodness. Yet, having done this, he repeatedly laid before your majesty the acknowledgment of his offense, for which he desired to receive severe punishment. It was subsequently thereto, on the 20th of January, 1841, that he received, through the General Council, the following imperial edict.
"Keshen has handed up to Us a report on the measures he is taking in regard to the English foreigners, under the present condition of circumstances. As these foreigners have shown themselves so unreasonable that all our commands are lost upon them, it behoves us immediately to make of them a most dreadful example of severity. Orders have now been given that, with the utmost speed, there be furnished from the several provinces of Hoonan, Szechuen, and Kweichow, 4000 troops, to repair, without loss of time, to Canton, and there to hold themselves under orders for service. Let Keshen, availing himself of the assistance of Lin Tsihseu, and Tang Tingching, take the necessary measures for the due furtherance of the object in view. And if these rebellious foreigners dare to approach the shores of our rivers, let him adopt such measures as circumstances shall point out for their extermination."
Again, on the 26th of January, your majesty's slave received the following imperial edict, sent him direct from the cabinet:
"Keshen has presented a report regarding the measures he is pursuing against the English foreigners: which We have perused, and on the substance of which We are fully informed. In conformity with our previous commands, let a large body of troops be assembled, and let an awful display of celestial vengeance be made. Whatever may be required for the expenses of such military operations, may be drawn equally from the duties arising from commerce, and the revenues derivable from the land-tax, the drafts being made after due consideration, and a correct statement being drawn out of the expenditure. If these united sources do not afford a sufficient amount, let it be so reported to us, and our further pleasure awaited."
With respect, your slave, humbly, upon his knees, has heard these commands. He would remark, that while indeed he had made certain conditional concessions to the English, these amounted to nothing more than that he would lay their case before your majesty; and thus, in the article of trade, though it was expressly said, that they desired the trade to be opened within the first decade of the first month of this year (23d Jan. to 1st Feb.), he still has not, up to this time, ventured to declare it open. Yet have these foreigners, nevertheless, sent a letter, in which they restore to us the forts Shakok and Taikok, along with all the vessels of war and the salt-junks which they had previously captured; and, at one and the same time, they have dispatched a foreign officer by sea to Chekeäng, to cause the withdrawal of their troops, and have given to your slave a foreign document which he has forwarded to Elepoo, at the rate of 600 le a day, by virtue whereof he may receive back Tinghae;—conduct, this, which on their part shows a more meek and compliant disposition than they have evinced before. But alas! your slave is a man of dull understanding and poor capacity, and in his arrangement of these things, he has not had the happiness to meet the sacred wishes of his sovereign. Trembling from limb to limb, how shall he find words to express himself! He humbly remembers that in his own person he has received the imperial bounty. Nor is his conscience hardened. How then should he, while engaged in the important work of curbing these unruly foreigners, presume to shrink from danger or to court unlawful repose! So far from thus acting, he has, from the moment he arrived in Canton until now, been harassed by the perverse craftiness of these presumptuous foreigners, who have shown themselves every way obstinate and impracticable,—yea, till head has ached, and heart has rent, with pain, and with the anxiety, ere even a morning meal, quickly to exterminate these rebels. Had he but the smallest point whereon to maintain his ground in contest with them, he would immediately report it, and under the imperial auspices make known to them the vengeance of heaven. But circumstances are, alas! opposed to the wishes of his heart. This condition of circumstances he has repeatedly brought before the imperial eye, in a series of successive memorials.
Now, after that these said foreigners had despatched a person to Chekeäng to restore Tinghae,—and had delivered up all that had been captured by them in the province of Kwangtung,—after, too, their ships of war had all retired to the outer waters,—it so happened that Elliot solicited an interview: and as your slave had not yet inspected the entrances of the port, and the fortifications of the Bocca Tigris,—as also the troops ordered from the several provinces had not yet arrived,—it did not seem prudent to show any thing that might cause suspicion on the part of the foreigners, and so to bring on at once a commencement of troubles and collision from their side. Therefore the occasion of visiting, for inspection, the Bocca Tigris, was taken advantage of to grant an interview.
Having left Canton for this purpose, on the 25th of January, your slave had to pass by the Szetsze waters (the Reach from First to Second Bar): and here he was met by Elliot, who came in a steam vessel, desiring that he might see him. His retinue did not exceed a few tens of persons,—he brought with him no ships of war,—and his language and demeanour upon that occasion were most respectful. He presented a rough draft of several articles on which he desired to deliberate,—the major part having regard to the troublesome minutæ of commerce; and he agreed, that, for the future, in any cases of the smuggling of opium, or of other contraband traffic or evasion of duties, both ship and cargo should be confiscated. Among the number of his proposals, were some highly objectionable, which were at the moment pointed out and refused,—upon which the said foreigner begged that emendations should be offered and considered of. It has now accordingly been granted him, that alterations and emendations be made, and when these shall be determined on and agreed to, the whole shall be presented for your majesty's inspection. Your slave then parted with Elliot.
He now found that the Szetsze waters were yet distant from the Bocca Tigris about 60 le (or nearly 20 miles). Even there, the sea is vast and wide, with boisterous waves and foaming billows, lashed up into fury by fierce winds. Majestically grand! How widely different the outer seas are from our inland river-water!—Having changed his boat for a sea-going vessel, your slave stood out for the Bocca Tigris ; and, there arrived, he made a most careful inspection of every fort and battery in the place.
Such forts as did not stand completely isolated in the midst of the sea, he yet found to have channels, affording ready water
