Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/37



The Englishmen, after consulting together, thought that the Company's interest would be best served by their proceeding to Canton and disposing of their goods there. They had previously found the Chinese authorities very courteous, but the chop given them only permitted trade at Macao, and consequently a new permit would have to be obtained before the ship could be taken into the Canton River. In these circumstances two of the supercargoes, Messrs. Douglas and Biggs, were sent to Canton to negotiate with the authorities. They were kindly received on arrival in the city by the two Hoppos, and also met with a friendly reception from M. Bonac, the French agent, who had been a resident since 1698. M. Bonac invited the visitors to stay at his house, but from jealousy of the designs of the French, the factors declined the offer, though they accepted an invitation to dinner. The full permit to trade having been obtained the Macclesfield galley entered the river on October 3rd, and anchored at Whampoa near a French ship from Madras and a "Moor ship" from Surat. Six days later, on going ashore to pitch his tent, the captain was attacked by a large armed party from the French ship, and his men were severely beaten. A complaint was made to the chief Hoppo of the outrage, but he, while sympathising with the English, said that as the French ship had come with an ambassador and presents it was beyond his jurisdiction. In the circumstances as the French were overwhelmingly strong there was no alternative but for the captain of the Macclesfield galley to pocket the affront. Though this unpleasant occurrence did much to mar the harmony of the Englishmen's early days at Canton there was compensation for them in the progress which they made with their business. Following upon the grant of a right to trade they, on October 9th, laid the foundations of an English factory at Canton by occupying a house which they had rented from a merchant at the modest price of fifty taels for the monsoon season. Their early days in this new home are described in interesting detail in the journal which they faithfully forwarded home for the edification of their employers in accordance with the almost unvarying practice followed by the agents of the Company's ships. Soon after the factors had settled, the two Hoppos invited themselves to dinner. They were advised by their merchant—Hun-Shun-Quin—"to bespeak some tables of victuals from the cook shop, for the two Hoppos and their officers, and that we should allow their servants, soldiers and chairmen, about seventy in number, 5 bandareens each for their dinner." The chief factor accordingly ordered eight tables, one for each Hoppo, one for himself and assistants, and five for the Hoppos' officers. "The chiefe Hoppo's table was placed at ye upper end of ye roome, upon ye left hand side and ye second Hoppo's on y$e$ right hand side (ye other being ye highest place according to ye Chinese and Tartar fashion) our table was placed in ye same roome, fronting ye Hoppos', with our faces towards them: ye table for ye Secretarys was in ye next (roome) adjoyning to y$t$ where we satt; and ye tables for ye other officers where below. Every table was served with 5 or 6 dishes, dressed in whole joynts Tartar fashion (according to ye Europe manner) but brought in only one dish at a time; and afterwards severall services of China victualls, brought in after ye same manner, but not removed untill ye whole number was compleat, w$ch$ was 16 in all, sett in a peculiar forme and manner and brought in att a considerable distance of time, drinkeing tea, wine or cordiall waters, between each service according to ye custome." The dinner being over the Hoppos retired until the tables were "clean'd downe, for they use no table cloths." The dessert, consisting of sixteen sorts of fruits, sweetmeats, and pickles, being placed on the tables the Hoppos returned. The chief Hoppo "being an old man drank sparingly but the second Hoppo took his cups freely and urged us to do the same."

Afterwards an official inspection was made of the goods. "The chief Hoppo fancied a pair of brass blunderbusses and the second a pair of pistols which they desired to purchase; this the linguist told me was only a genteel way of begging and advised me to give them as a present which I did and they after some pretended difficulty in taking them accepted."

Some little time after this entertainment the Chief Hoppo invited the English factors to breakfast. The account given of the function by Mr. Douglas, the chief factor, furnishes amusing reading: "Being arrived," he wrote, "we were obliged to wait the coming of the French, Captain Goosline and Mr. Fleetwood, the Hoppo having provided a breakfast for us and intending to admit us altogether. In the meantime suspecting that the French might attempt to take precedence I by the linguist informed the Hoppo of my fears, who immediately sent word that he would take care about that and appoint us our places. The expected party being arrived we were ushered into the inner apartment where the Hoppo met us at the door and received us in the most courteous manner. After the usual compliments he ordered three tables to be prepared, one for himself, one for the French, and one for the English; which being done he desired us to be seated, when the French second (the Chief being absent from indisposition) either by design or accident took the place intended for me (Douglas) which the Hoppo observing called me to his own table and seated me on his left hand, treating me with great respect."

The trading transactions of the factors were marked by interminable disputes and delays. Mr. Douglas, writing of his operations to the Court, thus concludes: "Ye many troubles and vexations wee have mett with from these subtile Chineese—whose principalls allow them to cheat and ye dayly practise therein have made them dextrus at it—I am not able to express at this time; and however easie others may have represented ye trade of China, nether I nor my assistants have found it so, for every day produces new troubles, but I hope that a little time will put an end to them all." Subsequently Mr. Douglas ascribed the delays and difficulties experienced in realising the sales and investments actually agreed upon to the great fall in the price of Europe goods and the rise in that of Nanking silk after a contract for sale had been made. Owing to the many delays it was not until July 18, 1700, that the Macclesfield galley was able to leave Canton. The vessel, after touching at various ports to complete her cargo, arrived off Portsmouth in the July following with "a rich and full cargo."

Before the Macclesfield galley had left Canton the Court at home had decided upon the formation of a permanent Council to overlook the Company's affairs in the Far East. The Commission, which was dated November 23, 1699, was to Allen Catchpoole, president, Solomon Lloyd, Henry Rowse, John Ridges and Robert Master. In order to give greater prestige to the chief of the Council the Court obtained from the King a commission appointing him and his successors in the presidential office "King's Minister or Consul for the English Nation." With this appointment may be said to begin the career of the British Consular Service in the Far East, and in a measure the commencement of the diplomatic connection of Great Britain with China. The Council's instructions were to attempt to form a settlement at Limpo or at some convenient port near Nanking or at Nanking itself. "We have been greatly encouraged to this Northern Settlement from the hopes we entertained of opening a way into the Japan trade," wrote the Court in explanation of this selection of localities for a factory. As to the personnel of the establishment thus constituted, the members of the Council were given the rank of