No. 79. SIR, British Consulate, Canton, I have to report to your Excellency the arrival at this city of his Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, and to inform you that the forces under his Excellency's command have this morning possessed themselves of the Four Barrier Forts, and the Macao Forts, and have completely dismantled, and rendered them wholly unavailable for offensive purposes. However much he may regret this resort to force, which your Excellency, by your violation of the Treaty has compelled, his Excellency will proceed to the destruction of all the defences and public buildings of this city and government, unless you at once comply with every demand which has been made. Should these movements occasion or lead to the destruction of any British property, the British Government will demand from that of China full compensation for the same. I have, &c., (Signed) H. S. PARKES, Consul. His Excellency Yeh, Imperial High No. 40. YEH, Imperial High Commissioner, GovernorGeneral of the Two Kwang Provinces, &c., &c., makes this Declaration to Mr. Parkes, the British Consul: At five P.M. on the 23rd instant, I received your statement informing me that the Naval Commander-in-Chief of your honourable nation had arrived with his forces at Canton, having the same morning taken possession of the Barrier Forts, and Macao Fort, all of which had been completely dismantled, and their ammunition destroyed. I, the Minister, had been made aware of these circumstances before your communication reached me. I find that the rules of propriety have hitherto been invariably observed by your honourable country in your commercial intercourse with China. Now, when the twelve men or criminals were seized on board the lorcha on the 8th October, I at once deputed a special officer to conduct their examination. He found that nine of their number had committed no offence, and on the 10th instant they were returned by an officer to the lorcha; but you, the Consul, declined to receive them. Early on the morning of the 22nd instant I forwarded to you, with a Declaration, LeangMingtae, and Leang-keen-foo, the two criminals concerned in the case; Woo-Agin, the witness, and the above-mentioned nine men- in all twelve. The same day at twelve o'clock I received a statement, in which you made no allusion to this circumstance. This lorcha was built by the Chinese, LooA-ching, when he was boarded by the Chinese soldiers, they were not aware that she was a foreign lorcha; she was anchored near the Dutch Folly, and she was originally a Chinese vessel. It is an established regulation with the lorchas of your honourable nation, that when they come to an anchor, they lower their colours and do not rehoist them until they again get under weigh; we have clear proof that when the lorcha was boarded her colours were not flying. How then could they have been taken down? Who could have incited you, the said Consul, to attack, on the morning of the 23rd instant, the Barrier Forts, burning the forts, and wounding or killing six of the Chinese soldiers; and again on the 24th instant to attack and burn the Macao Passage Fort, when three of our soldiers received contusions. It was because I, the Minister, am at peace with your honourable nation that the soldiers in no instance offered resistance; but if you, the said Consul, should of your own will again resort to violence, and occasion trouble among the people of this city, who will not submit to such proceedings, then I, the Minister, shall find it difficult to employ persuasion on your account. I therefore inform you of this beforehand. Furthermore, your honourable nation has hitherto reverenced the spirits of Heaven and the Sabbath day, and justice and propriety are held by you in esteem; but does the destruction of forts correspond with such professions? You, the said Consul, should well consider this. 24th October, 1856., 7 P.M. True translation, (Signed) H. S. PARKES, Consul. SIR, Encounter, at Canton, I have the honour to inform your Excellency of my proceedings since my letter of the 23rd instant. After rendering the guns in the forts which I had taken possession of useless, I set fire to the buildings, and then proceeded to Canton, where I found the Encounter lying off the factories. I had sent the Sampson and Barracouta to secure the free navigation of the Blenheim Reach, and on my arrival I found that those ships had taken possession of the Blenheim and Macao Forts without resistance; the latter I retain temporary possession of. Yesterday morning I proceeded down the Macao Reach, where I met the Barracouta; and at a given signal, the fort opposite the factory and the Bird's Nest Fort were taken quiet possession of, as were afterwards the two forts called (I think) Cha-min, commanding the passage. The guns were rendered unserviceable. I have, &c. (Signed) M. SEYMOUR, Rear-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief. His Excellency Sir John Bowring, LL.D., Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, Hong Kong. SIR, Encounter, at Canton, I beg to acquaint your Excellency that my proceedings yesterday were confined to the taking of the fort called the Dutch Folly without opposition. To-day being Sunday is kept as a day of rest. I purpose resuming offensive operations to morrow. The Encounter, Sampson, Barracouta, and Coromandel, are at anchor off the factory; the Comus guarding the barrier in the Macao passage of the river. I have, &c. (Signed) M. SEYMOUR. His Excellency Sir John Bowring, LL.D., Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, Hong Kong. No. 229. SIR, Superintendency of Trade, Hong Kong, October 27, 1856. I have received with extreme gratification your Excellency's report (dated 25th instant) of the capture of the Blenheim Reach Fort, that of the Macao Passage, the Red and Shamin Forts, and of your intention, with as much regard as possible for life and private property, to continue your hostile operations until satisfaction is obtained from the Imperial High Commissioner. I am also gratified to find that the factories are adequately protected. I can only renew my congratulations on the most successful issue of all your naval operations, and hope our diplomacy may be equally auspicious. I have, &c., (Signed) JOHN BOWRING. His Excellency Sir Michael Seymour, K.C.B., Naval Commander-inChief, &c. &c. &c. SIR, British Consulate, Canton, I have received your Excellency's declaration of last night, and have laid it before his Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief. He directs me to inform your Excellency that he considers such a communication being for the most part a repetition of previous misstatements, to be at this time entirely out of place. His Excellency having been compelled to take much trouble in order to redress a wrong committed by your Excellency, it will be necessary to guard against the recurrence of such difficulties by providing freer means of communication between your Excellency and Her Majesty's officers. In the matter of the Arrow many communications were addressed to your Excellency both by Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary and Consul, of which your Excellency took no notice. They were therefore unable to convince your Excellency by personal argument of the injustice you |