Page 160 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

146.

eluded, "He is worth more to us than any 2 other houses on

79
our Books."

Through the financial difficulties of 1837 and the
political crisis of 1839-40 Houqua remained a staunch friend

of Russell & Co. and Americans in general. He corresponded

regularly with Americans who had left Canton, offering advice

and financial help if necessary. The most famous example of

his generosity was his clearing his books of an enormous debt

owed by the Ai�erican Consul. In failing health, this merchant
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could return home. Of course Houqua's actions were an

exception, not the rule. But he was the most important

Chinese merchant at Canton. His special relationship with

the Ai�erican residents helped to reinforce the Co-hong's bias

for Americans throughout the period. The history of Americans

at Canton before 1844 was in large part the history of Russell

& Co. and Houqua.

79
Letters, J.M. Forbes to A. Heard, Jan. 26, 1836 and
Oct. 31, 1836, Heard MSS.
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Houqua's honesty and generosity were lauded in an
article concerning the history of Russell & Co. in the Boston
Sunday Globe,Jun. 20, 1908, in Forbes Family MSS. See also
Letter, Houqua (written by J.M. Forbes) to J.P. Cushing,
Apr. 23, 1833, Forbes MSS. Letter, Houqua (written by J.M.
Forbes) to A. Heardu Apr. 6, 1836, Heard MSS. The story about
the consul is very common in the literature of this period,
although the American is never named. Deduction makes the
merchant to be Peter W. Snow, American consul at Canton from
1836 to 1842.