Page 281 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

267.

brawl, during which villager Lin Wei-hsi was killed. The

Chinese demanded the surrender of the man or men responsible

for the villager's death. Elliot refused, claiming that,

since Americans were on shore at the same time, no one could

determine that Englishmen were to blame. Lin Tse-hsu demanded

an explanation frbm American Consul Snow. The consul respon­

ded that all American captains in the area had assured him

that their crews had remained sober the entire day. Lin's

acceptance of Snow's assertion contrasted dramatically with

his accusations in April that the Americans were lying about

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the opium in their possession.
Elliot investigated the homicide himself and held a

trial for six seamen accused of participation in the brawl.

Judged guilty, they were sent back to England for punishment.

Irate at Elliot's actions, Lin Tse-hsu decided to move against

Elliot and the English merchants at Macao. The Commissioner,

witnessing Elliot's peremptory handling of the Lin Wei-hsi

case, worried that he might try to use Macao as a base of

operations against the Chinese. In September Commissioner

Lin cut off supplies and servants to Macao. The Portugese

then forced the British to move onto their vessels, now all

anchored at Hong Kong. American masters enjoyed this turn

of events, since profits from freighting English cargoes to

and from Whampoa increased. The English merchants, who in

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Consular Despatches: Canton, P.W. Snow, Aug. 29, 1839.
Enclosed is Snow's denial of any American involvement in the
affair.