Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/34

26 told them that the best port for trade was Nankin. from whence the finest wrought and raw silk came. To inquiries whether it was possible to procure the Emperor's permission to settle at Amoy, Hockchew, Fochin, or Nankin, he replied that he believed that it might be obtained but that the best mode of trade was by ships 'to and again,' for there was a constant change of Governors and nothing could be done without making them presents, which retarded the conclusion of business. The Emperor was desirous of encouraging the ingress of foreigners to his ports, for which purpose he had thrown open the trade for three years, half of which was expired, and if all things went on well this freedom was likely to be continued; but the Chinese were very jealous of strangers and did not like factories or settlements. The Padre cautioned the captain not to enter any river or any way to put himself into the power of the Chinese; and instanced their conduct to the Dutch last year at Amoy, who were imprisoned till half their goods were taken for nothing and were then obliged to make large presents to be allowed to depart. The Emperor did not permit and was ignorant of such conduct, but the officers knowing their time was short 'make hay while the sun shines.'

by the somewhat qualified success of the Amoy enterprises, and stimulated also by the activity of the Dutch, who after their occupation of Bantam made great efforts to capture the China trade, the East India Company, in 1687, sent out several ships. Two of them, the London and the Worcester, were despatched to Amoy, and there, in August of the same year, a commencement was made with the establishment of a factory by the hiring of a house. Some days afterwards the fair prospect which seemed to have opened up was obscured by a "regrettable incident." A drunken English sailor, wandering about at night, found his way to the Custom House, which he broke open. To accommodate the matter the factors went to the leading official. This person "was kind and civill and all he desired was a due punishment might be given to him (the sailor) by ourselves according (as in our opinion) ye crime meritted; w$ch$ was inflicted in public view ashore by 100 stripes with a catt of nine tailes and Pickle to their satisfaction."

Amoy had its advantages, but there were no delusions at home as to its inferiority as a centre of trade compared with Canton. In 1689–90 the Court despatched the ship Defence out with special instructions to attempt to open up trade with that port. On September 1st the vessel arrived at an anchorage about "15 leagues to the Eastward of Macao," and the supercargoes landed "in a fair sandy bay in sight of ye Maccoa Islands." At a town they came to they procured three bamboo chairs and eleven wheelbarrows "much more convenient than our English ones, but somewhat more noisy, for twas easy to hear them a league off." On their way to Canton the trio were well received and strangely enough the Mandarins would neither accept presents themselves nor allow their followers to take them. Arrived at Canton the supercargoes without difficulty obtained a chop for the ship to proceed up the river; but to their mortification the captain declined to move from the anchorage to which he had proceeded about six leagues off Macao. His excuse was that he had struck his topmasts and could not get away. But it appeared that there were other and more personal reasons for his reluctance to accept instructions. He seems to have been busy doing an active private trade, "forestalling" the Company's agents in several directions. These delinquencies, however, faded into insignificance by the side of one indiscretion which had a tragic result and eventually wrecked the entire enterprise. While ashore one day the Captain got into an altercation with the Chinese about a mast. After a scuffle the captain's men bore away the trophy in triumph, but as they went off in the boats the natives, irritated at their discomfiture, pelted them with stones. Upon this the captain gave orders to his men to fire, and a volley was directed to the crowd on the shore with unfortunate results, one Chinaman being killed outright and another wounded. The fire was returned and the native pilot who stood by the captain was wounded. But this was not the worst outcome of the business. "In this confusion," says the account sent to the Court by the supercargoes, "ye poore doctor 3rd and 5th mate and 7 Englishmen on shore were not thought on, or neglected, the pinnice and long boat having cutt loose ye mast making a way from ye shoar, who had they stay'd but a few minutes longer might have received our poor Doctor, who with some others making towards ye boat was miserably cut down in their sight. Later news was brought that the doctor mortally wounded was drag'd by ye cruell Tartars into their Cajan Watch House, where he lies on ye ground chain'd in his gore most miserably, with ye stinking dead corps (after it had been carried around ye towne ye more to irritate ye Chinese) lay'd by him and none suffered to come near and dress his wounds, and all ye rest of his people (save ye two mates which (I) believe have sheltered themselves amongst ye Portuguez) bound miserably in ye same house."

The supercargoes offered 2,800 taels to accommodate the affair, but the Mandarins demanded 5,000, and not receiving this amount they detained one of the supercargoes to enforce the payment. The captain, who throughout had acted in a spirit of absolute independence, finding the turn that events had taken set sail without the supercargo, and so what seemed a most promising opening for securing a foothold at Canton ended in the official classes being turned