Page 285 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

271.

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Smith of H.M.S. 11Volage ordered the Chinese junks to retreat.
When they did not, he fired and sank four junks. The Battle

of Chuenpi became the official beginning of the Opium War,

although further hostilities did not occur for another six

months.
Capt. Elliot, who had been at Chuenpi, ordered the

fleet back to Hong Kong to await instructions from the British

government. American vessels resumed the carrying trade for

the English. In November, the busiest month on the tea mar­

ket, the river traffic increased irmnensely. All teas that

went to English markets in the 1839-40 season came down from

Whampoa on American vessels and were transshipped either at
1
Hong Kong or at Singapore. Forbes commented: 1These are

exciting times & we Yankees will take advantage of them -- 11

Every American resident at Canton, including Consul Snow,

who could acquire an English vessel changed its name and

entered the freighting business. But one American correctly

predicted that "this will not last, for the Chinese are just

beginning to inquire about Lships�7 Registers-- 11 Lin, carry­

ing out his threat made before the incident at Chuenpi, decreed

that since the English had left the Bogue, 11English trade with

China will be closed forever on the 6th day of December 1839. 11

Included in the embargo were the end of all transshipments and

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change of national flags on vessels.

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Journal of R.B. Forbes, Nov. 6, 1839, Forbes Family MSS.
Letter, J. Coolidge to A. Heard, Nov. 29, 1839, Heard MSS. Con­
sular Despatches: Canton, P.W. Snow, Nov. 30, 1839.