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others. I was explaining the nature of my errand, and endeavouring to get them to take me either to the Northern or Eastern Prince to deliver the letter, when Lae appeared. He and the others pressed us very much to dine and sleep there that night, engaging to take us to the Northern and Eastern Princes on the following morning; but as we were quite unprepared for this, I ultimately delivered the letter to Lae, and we reached the Hermes again just before dark." The following was the letter in question :

"Hermes, off Nanking, April 28, 1853.

"I received yesterday your message conveyed through the Ministers sent on board for that purpose, to the effect that you were willing to receive me in the city, in the event of my being desirous of paying you a visit. It was at first my intention to see you on shore, but the weather and other circumstances prevent my doing so, and, therefore, I have to convey to you in writing the sentiments I should have communicated to you verbally had I visited you. Those sentiments are to the following effect:

“Our nation, the British, have had commercial dealings with the Chinese at the port of Canton for upwards of 200 years; and about ten years back a Treaty of Peace and a set of commercial regulations were agreed on, whereby British merchants and other British subjects are entitled to erect houses and dwell with their families at the five ports of Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, and Shanghae, and, on due payment of the tariff duties, to carry on an unrestricted commerce without let or hindrance. At each of the five ports, British Consular officers are stationed, specially charged with the authority over British subjects, and I have had the honor to receive instructions from my Sovereign, whereby I am stationed at Hong Kong, with the general control of British subjects and affairs at the five ports, and it falls within my province to arrange all international questions that arise between the two States. This state of things has con

tinued without change for more than ten years. Recently, however, it came to my ears that a contest was going on between the native Chinese and the Manchoos, and that you, the Eastern Prince, had taken Nanking. A variety of reports, connected with the subject, were in circulation, and certain of the Manchoo authorities had issued a proclamation to the effect that they had borrowed the services of ten and odd steamers of Western nations, which would proceed up the Yang tsze to attack your forces.' This is altogether false. It is the established custom of our nation in no wise to interfere with any contests that may take place in the countries frequented by our subjects for commercial purposes. It is, therefore, totally out of the question that we should now in China lend the services of our steamers to give assistance in the struggle. Of the lorchas hired by the Manchoo authorities and the square-rigged vessels purchased by them I know nothing; British merchant vessels are not allowed to let their services in such contest; but I cannot prevent the sale of vessels, the private property of British subjects, still less those of other nations, any more than I can prevent the sale of cotton manufactures or other merchandise, with which it stands on the same footing. Vessels once sold are, however, not permitted to hoist our national colours, and British subjects have no right to continue on board of the same in the service of the Manchoo authorities, and will, under such circumstances, receive no protection whatever from our Government. In short, it is our desire to remain perfectly neutral in the conflict between you and the Manchoos. But our nation has a large establishment at Shanghae, of dwellinghouses, places for public worship, and warehouses, while the port is frequented by numbers of our vessels. You, on the other hand, have now reached Nanking, at no great distance from Shanghae, and we hear it reported that it is the intention of your forces to proceed to Soochow, Sung keang, and the neighbouring places. Under these circumstances it becomes desirable to know by what spirit you will be actuated

in your measures having relation to the British, in the event of your proceeding to Shanghae.

"In conclusion I have only to add, that it is my intention to proceed this afternoon a short distance up this river, and as to-morrow is Sunday, and a day of rest, no business can be transacted before Monday, when I shall be again at this anchorage early in the morning, and ready to receive any reply that you may have to give to the above communication. At the same time should you or any one of the four Princes see fit to come then on board to see the ship, I shall willingly receive you and promise you a suitable reception and a safe landing.

(Signed) "S. G. BONHAM."

The last paragraph of the above letter gives the chief cause of our declining to pass the night in the city.

"At daylight on the 1st of May the Hermes got under weigh and proceeded up the river. When about eight miles above Nanking, some 15 or 20 river craft of the Canton build and rig (centipedes) were observed ahead, getting their sails up and going off as if in flight. They were at once perceived to be the Imperialist upper flotilla. The rearmost was soon closed with and called alongside. One of those in advance, seeing her consort proceeding quietly to the steamer and seeing the latter stop, doubtless comprehended there was no hostile intention, and therefore thought proper to fire a gun which sent its shot over the bows of the Hermes. The boat that had been called alongside was sent on to tell the others that there was no occasion either to fire or to move, as the Hermes had come merely to get information as to the state of affairs. She proceeded on this mission very leisurely, and as two more shotted guns were fired by vessels she had spoken to, Captain Fishbourne ordered the ports to be dropped and the guns prepared. After this there was no more firing. The vessels which composed the flotilla had been built at the head of the Hoonan branch of the Great River and had been

following in the track of the Rebels down. They were found to be manned altogether by Canton volunteer gunners or 'cannon braves,' many of whom the mandarins have since stated to be reclaimed pirates. There were no regular forces nor any mandarins present, and each vessel was stated to be independent of the others. Several of the headmen or commanders came on board the Hermes; but no exact information respecting the position and strength of the Imperial armies could be obtained from them. One who had all the appearance and manner of an impudent China-street shopkeeper was however at pains to explain emphatically, and with an air of much disgust, that the Rebels were 'Christians and robbers, robbers and Christians.' The Hermes anchored again off Nanking about dark."

Instead of lying, as I had hitherto done, alongside of the steamer, I went to the Nanking side, where I lay during the night among the Rebel craft; and before it was quite dark Mr. Reynolds and myself had a ramble through a part of their position. In doing so, we entered the office of a Sze shwae or General of Division, and saw several men being enrolled, who had come in from the country to join the Tae pings. My clerks dined with the officer in charge of that particular portion of the river front in which our boat lay. He was, I think, a Leu shwae (or Colonel commanding 525 men). Both the General of Division and the Colonel had long hair, but both were Hoonan men, who had joined the Tae pings since their entrance into the Great River valley. The Colonel almost complained to my people of the severity of the discipline maintained. Negligence, not to speak of disobedience, was, he said, punished with immediate decapitation. As we had had several complete sets of the religious, political and military publications of the Tae pings for some days in our possession (I had asked the Northern Prince and Lae to send us copies of all they had issued) we had now a tolerably good notion of their principles and organization, and were better able to put further questions.

Early on the morning of the 3rd the following communication, written on a long piece of yellow silk, was received on board:

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issue a decree to the English from afar, who have hitherto revered Heaven and have now come to give in their allegiance to our Sovereign, specially enjoining them to entertain no doubts but to set their minds at rest.

"The Great God, the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Lord in the beginning created, in six days, heaven and earth, land and sea, men and things; from that time till this, the whole world has been one house, and all within the four seas have been brethren; there can be no difference between man and man, no distinction between high and low born. But from the time that evil spirits entered into the hearts of men, they have not acknowledged the great grace of God, the Heavenly Father, in giving and sustaining life, neither have they acknowledged the great merit of Jesus, the Heavenly Brother, in the work of redemption; and they have caused lumps of ⚫ This title has no meaning in the Chinese language. The second name, "sew," of the Eastern Prince is composed of two other characters, ho and nae. The title probably refers to his powers as a seer.

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