Page 367 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

353.

conducted; not only in the part of my Countrymen and myseli

as far as I was permitted to act, but as respects the Au­

thorities constituted over the place of my residence.''

Since the matter concerning Terranovia was a new experience for

the Americans, Wilcocks felt it essential "that the Consul at

this port should have instructions how to act on future occas­

ions, particularly should any part of the late proceedings

appear objectionable.1 1 30 Wilcocks never received an answer

from the Secretary of State. He resigned shortly thereafter
to drum for opium consignments among the Parsee merchants in

1
India. Wilcocks successor, Richard R. Thomson of Philadel­

phia, arrived in early 182 3 to find the consular position

still undefined. He also asked his superiors nto favor me

with their sentiments on this subject. 1 1 31 Thomson was no more

successful than Wilcocks. Following him, American consuls

merely reported, and often very sporadically, whatever they

decided worthy of the State Department's attention.

Consequently, consular despatches from Canton presen­

ted a rather uneven image of American commercial relations

with the Chinese. Consuls often did not even fulfill their

duty of reporting semi-annually on American shipping and trade

at Canton. The basic reason emanated from the tenuous position

occupied by the consul in relation to other American merchants

30
consular Despatches: Canton, B.C. Wilcocks, Jan. 30, 1822.
31
Consular Despatches: Canton, R.R. Thomson, Sep. 4, 1822.