Page:American Diplomacy in the Orient - Foster (1903).djvu/110

 national equality." Tsiyeng immediately caused the address to be corrected and returned.

The Chinese high commissioner and his suite arrived at Macao on June 16. After a few days spent in the exchange of visits and social courtesies, the formal negotiations were opened on the 21st, by the submission of a draft of treaty proposed by Mr. Cushing. The Secretary, Mr. Webster, and the two Chinese secretaries of the legation met three members of the Chinese embassy, and discussed the project in detail, with occasional conferences between Mr. Cushing and Tsiyeng. The treaty was concluded without any serious difficulty, and preliminary to its signature a dinner was given to the Chinese embassy at the house of the American legation, attended by the American ladies residing at Macao.

On July 3, 1844, the treaty was signed at the temple occupied by the Chinese embassy, in a suburb of Macao called Wang Hiya. The ceremony of signing was a simple one, the members of the legation and embassy being the only witnesses, and no presents were made. After the execution of the treaty, an entertainment was served by the Chinese, and congratulations were exchanged on the speedy and happy issue of the negotiations. A singular fact attended these events. Mr. Cushing had not set foot on Chinese territory nor had he had personal intercourse with a single high Chinese official except the embassy up to the time of signing the treaty, and that instrument had been negotiated and executed on foreign (Portuguese) territory.