Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/29

Rh without the river which would be suitable for a settlement. On the 24th of August Messrs. Mounteney and Robinson went up the river with stock and presents, and after a delay of two days, attired in Chinese habits, were conveyed to lodgings in the suburbs of Canton. After paying 10,000 "rialls of eight" agreed upon for duties, they bought eighty tons of sugar besides bargaining for ginger, stuffs and other merchandise and provisions. The trade assumed such a promising complexion that Mr. Robinson was despatched to the fleet for six additional chests of money, and twenty Chinese carpenters were employed in making chests to contain the sugar and sugar candy, which we are told by the diarist "costs 1½d. p. lb. and is as white as snow." Meanwhile, "the malicious treachery and base designes of the Portugalls slept not." They insidiously poisoned the minds of the authorities against the English traders, and followed up their secret machinations with an open protest against any concession to the intruders. The outcome of these plottings was that Robinson and two other Englishmen who were accompanying him were arrested in the river on returning to Canton with the additional specie and stock. At about the same time an attack was made on the fleet by sending against it a number of fire junks. Fortunately this manœuvre was detected in time and the junks were avoided.

The party at Canton were left in close confinement in their houses for several days. Eventually, on their threatening to fire the town, their guard was withdrawn. Meanwhile, Weddell, not hearing from the merchants, cruised with his vessels about the mouth of the river pillaging and burning. At last licence was given to the merchants to write, and they did so asking Weddell to forbear.

On the 6th of October the Chumpein at Canton expressed a desire to Mounteney to taste some meat dressed after the English fashion, "whereupon they played the cookes and roasted certain henns &amp;c. which together sent unto him, together with some bisquett, a bottle of Sacke, and some other things they sent unto him, wherewith he seemed much content, and returned them many thanckes assureing them of his friendshipp; nor did he fayle them therein to his uttmost. And at their departure told them he was sorry he could doe noe more for them, beinge the plaine truth that the Portugalls had outbribed them, and had so far p'vayled w$th$ ye great ones, that he alone was not able to oppose soe many." He was, however, he added, soliciting the new Viceroy on their behalf.

Then followed a course of trading marked by repeated intrigues on the part of the Portuguese to nullify the efforts of the English. Finally, the Chumpein caused two "interchangeable writings," to be subscribed by either party, and so dismissed them on equal terms. The conditions of the agreement arrived at were that the Englishmen should pay a tribute of 20,000 "rialls of eight" yearly, together with four pieces of ordnance and fifty muskets. On their part the Chinese authorities agreed that the English should make a selection of any island near Macao, for the purposes of a settlement, that they should have liberty to fortify it, and that they should have the same freedom of trade with Canton as the Portuguese enjoyed. If Weddell's enterprise had been vigorously followed up there is little reason to doubt that the English might have anticipated the founding of Hongkong by two centuries. But the times were not propitious for colonial adventures of any kind, and least of all for one in such a remote region as the China Sea. Torn with internecine strife, and with the national finances in a state of great confusion, England turned her face from the path by which later she was to travel to a dazzling position of eminence as a world power.

The next few years were years of humiliation for the English in the Far East. The Dutch strove, and with considerable success, to drive English trade from the China seas. How low the national prestige had sunk may be gathered from the reply made in 1645 by the Surat Council to a proposition emanating from the Spanish Governor of the Manilas that a commerce should be opened between those islands and Surat. The Surat factors confessed their inability to supply the Spanish with the articles they required because of the vigilant eye the Dutch had over their actions. They went on to say that although they might "effect the business through the Straits of Sunda, yet without the Company's positive order," they must decline hazarding the Company's shipping, but "rather propound unto the Court the obtaining from the King of Spain his consent and license for an open and free commerce between us." Apparently the risks were eventually faced, for at the close of the year two of the Company's ships, the Hinde and the Sea Horse, are mentioned as having been one at Macao and the other at the Manilas. The voyages were not particularly successful, largely owing to the anarchical conditions which prevailed in China at this period. The Hinde, the chronicler says, might have done better but for "the extreme poverty of the place, it not appearing the same as it was at the London's being there." Its condition was due "to the loss of their (the Portuguese's) former trades to Japan and the Manilas, the former of which they lately attempted to recover by sending a pinnace into those ports, but (they) had their people that voyaged thither all cut off, which makes them more miserable." As for China it was represented in the factor's report on the Hinde's voyage as being "wholly embroiled in wars." "One of the chief Mandarins being risen in rebellion is grown so powerful that he possesseth a great part of the kingdom and is likely to be owner of it, the king, after he had slain his wife and two of his children, having hanged himself for fear of falling into his hands; which disturbances with the Portuguese's poverty had left Macao destitute of all sorts of commodities, there not being to be bought in the city either silks raw or wrought, (nor) China roots other than what were old and rotten; nor, indeed, anything but China ware, which is the bulk of the Hinde's lading, the rest being brought in gold; nor could anything at all during the ship's stay there be procured from Canton." The disturbed state of China continued for some time to interrupt the course of trade. Three years after the Hinde visited Macao the Company's agent at Bantam supplied a very doleful account of the position of affairs to his employers at home. "The experiment which you desire we should make with one of our small vessels for trade into China," he wrote, "we are certainly informed by those that know the present state and condition of that country very well cannot be undertaken without the inevitable loss both of ship, men and goods; for as the Tartars overrun and waste all the inland country without settling any government in the places which they overcome; so some of their great men in China with a mighty fleet at sea of upwards of 1,000 sail of great ships (as is confidently reported) rob and spoil all the sea coasts and whatsoever vessels they can meet with; and how one of our feeble vessels would be able to defend themselves against such forces is easy to be supposed. As for the Portugalls in Macao, they are little better than mere rebels against their Vice Roy in Goa having lately murdered their Captain General sent thither to them; and Macao itself so distracted amongst themselves that they are daily spilling one another's blood. But put the case, all these things were otherwise, we must needs say we are in a very poor condition to seek out new discoveries; while you will not allow us either factors, shipping or sailors, scarce half sufficient to maintain the trade already you have on foot; and therefore the Dutch but laugh at us to see us meddle with new undertakings, being hardly able to support the old."

The Tartar invasion of China, Dutch hostility, civil war at home, and a general lack of means, were circumstances which combined to circumscribe the operations of the