Page 284 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

270.

required bond were reworded. While this point was being nego­

tiated, Elliot declared that English vessels could proceed to

Chuenpi (at the Bogue) and trade without signing the bond.

Overeager English masters interfered and ruined the discus­

sions by signing the rigid bond that Lin had formerly issued.

At Canton the Americans, first hearing Elliot's scheme of

trade at Chuen-pi, criticized him for splitting hairs. The

chief of Russell & Co. wondered: "Now I should like to know

the difference between the assent to Chinese Law outside the

Bogue or inside the Bogue--British agents must be within the
power of the Chinese ito trad�7." When the Americans dis­

covered that some English had acceded to the bond, they

scoffed at them for yielding to a harsher bond than the Amer-
.
1cans a . d 88
h d signe .
Even though some Englishmen had signed Lin's bond, the

Commissioner was not satisfied. His primary objective remained

British recognition of the sovereignity of Chinese law. He

once again demanded that Elliot hand up the murderers of Lin

wei-hsi. Lin accompanied his demand with an ultimatum that

the English vessels had three days to decide whether to come

up to Whampoa �nd sign the bond) or to leave the Bogue and

never return. Fleets from the two sides met at Chuenpi on

November 2. After trading demands and threats, Capt. Henry

88
Journal of R.B. Forbes, Oct. 27, 1839, Forbes Family
MSS. Letter, R.B. Forbes to S. Russell, Oct. 31, 1839, Russell &
Co. MSS. A copy of the new bond, signed by some Englishmen, is
in Consular Despatches: Canton, P.W. Snow, Oct. 27, 1839. This
bond decreed capital punishment for those caught dealing in opium.