Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/39

Rh inconveniencing if you are not so bountiful to me as to order about 50 carpenters and bricklayers hither to build me a house and other conveniences; for those already built for the English who can't work in these hot countries, do keep not out the rain. And it will be but like an elder brother, to condescend to order what pay each man shall have." The King of Cochin China himself replied to this letter in an extraordinary effusion dated August 2, 1703. The King stated that his complaint against them was not that they showed no civility by the making of presents, but because of their illegal behaviour.

"Consider ye," he said, "and examine seriously, and fear Heaven with all your heart and all your strength and you will presently become as if we were surrounded by a wall."

"You are pleased to say in your letter that upon another occasion when a ship comes, you (will) send richer presents. How can such sort of things be precious to us? Would you know what it is we highly esteem? Upon goodness and piety we put a great value; friendship and love we reckon of great moment: what regard can we have to pearls and rich silks, if honesty and respect be wanting? But seeing you are very expert in sea and military affairs we are confident you will exert your teeth and hoofs against our enemies; and on this account you will do a considerable piece of service and worthy of you; and so long as you stay and trade in that island we freely forgive you the Customs of the goods and the tribute of the land although the old inhabitants pay both&hellip;"

"Get everything in good order, that you may come to Court yearly, whereby it will come to pass that we shall mutually, as in the Winter Season, cherish one another, and also increase our fidelity and friendship; which two blessings are so great that they can never be exhausted."

"Now the wind is favourable, the sea calm and the vessel desires to leave the port; and we have written this letter. Although the rivers be as a belt, and although the hills be as stone to rub ink upon; although also the sea be spacious and the Heavens high; nevertheless, piety, concord, gratitude and the remembrance of favours done, shall never have an end."

The immortal Chadband himself—to select another Dickensonian illustration—could not have surpassed the unctuous fervour of this communication. The amusing thing is that the King was a notorious old reprobate who worthily ruled over as thievish a lot as the East India Company ever had dealings with. From beginning to finish the attempts to trade in Cochin China were failures mainly for this reason. The Pulo Condore factory was a particularly bad bargain. The place was unsuited in every way for the purposes for which it was designed, and the establishment, after the expenditure of a considerable amount of money upon the enterprise, was withdrawn. With it disappears from the scene the pompous figure of President Catchpoole, "the King's Consul," and the first official chief of the Company's establishments in China.

The chief centre of interest once more shifts to Canton. Relations of some kind appear to have been maintained with that city by the Company during the period of President Catchpoole's sojourn in Chusan and Pulo Condore. In 1704 an unpleasant new departure was made by the Chinese authorities by the appointment of a functionary known as the Emperor's Merchant, who was invested with authority to monopolise the trade. This "new monster," as he was termed by the indignant English factors in their reports to the Court, was a man "who formerly sold salt at Canton and was whip't [sic] out of the province for being caught defrauding the Emperour [sic] of his dutys [sic] on that commodity, but not being whip't out of all his money, he had found means to be introduced to the Emperour's son and successor who for a sum of money reported to be 42,000 Taels had given him a patent to trade with all Europeans in Canton exclusive of all other merchants." The discontent aroused by this new and formidable obstacle to trade took shape in a strong representation to the Quang-choo-foo, as to the disastrous results which would ensue if the system were continued. This official set an inquiry on foot and found that the Emperor's Merchant had literally no goods, and that the other traders were debarred from selling goods in consequence of his patent. In the end an agreement was come to by which the Emperor's Merchant allowed others to participate in the trade in consideration of a payment to him of a duty of 5,000 taels per ship. Besides having to bear this heavy imposition trade about this period was penalised by an import duty amounting to 4 per cent. of the value of the goods. In 1704 the charge is spoken of as "an imposition lately crept upon us by the submission of our predecessors the two preceding seasons." The character of the duty is thus explained: "One per cent. of the four is what has been usually given by the Chinese merchants to the linguist upon all contracts, and the linguist was used to gratify the Hoppo out of the sum for his employment. The other three were first squeezed from the China merchant as a gratuity for upholding some particular men in monopolising all the business, and this used to be given in a lump, so that by undervaluing the goods and concealing some part they used to secure half the charge; but to show how soon an ill precedent will be improved in China to our disadvantage, the succeeding Hoppos, instead of the persuasive arguments such as their predecessors used, are come to demand it as an established duty."

Regular Trade at Canton—Accession of the Emperor Kienlung—Liberal Trade Policy—Commodore Anson and the Mandarins—Trade Confined to Canton—Arrest of Mr. Flint, a Supercargo—Special Mission despatched to Canton by the East India Company—Regrettable Incidents—A British Sailor delivered up to the Chinese and executed by them.

the eighteenth century had far advanced the trade with Canton had assumed to a large extent a regular character. The Company's instructions provided that the supercargoes in China should keep but one table, and should meet at least twice a week for consultation upon the Company's affairs. As to the ships, the general practice was for them to await off Macao until the supercargoes had ascertained whether the conditions at Canton were favourable to their approach to that city. If a satisfactory report was made the vessels were taken to Bocca Tigris where the Hoppo's officers boarded them. Through the linguist an intimation was conveyed to these personages that the supercargoes wished to wait upon the Hoppo. Subsequently an interview took place with this high official, and after the exchange of compliments, a demand was made for free trade under stipulated conditions. The main conditions were that the trade should be with all people without restriction; that the Company's servants might entertain in their service what Chinese servants they pleased, and discharge them at their pleasure; that if their English servants committed any fault deserving punishment they should be dealt with by the supercargoes; that they should be at liberty to buy all sorts of provisions for the factory and the ship at their will; that they should pay no custom or other duties for any goods they should bring on shore and not dispose of; that they should have liberty to set up a tent ashore, to mend and fit their casks, sails, and rigging; that their boats should have liberty to pass the several custom houses or boats as often as should be thought fit without being called to or examined on any pretence whatsoever where the British colours were hoisted, and that at no time should their seamen's pockets be searched; that the Hoppo should protect them "from all insults and impositions of the common people and Mandarins who were annually laying new duties and exactions which they were forbidden to allow of." Finally, it was demanded "that the four per cent. be taken off and that every claim or demand the Hoppo had should be demanded and determined the same time with the measurement of the ship." It was usual for the Hoppo to signify his assent to all the demands, with the exception of the last, which he could not agree to. The supercargoes were accustomed to press the point, and on finding that there was no prospect of concession would discreetly "let that argument drop."

In 1720 a new source of embarrassment to the trade arose in the formation of a combination of native merchants to secure the