Page 378 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

364.

country to cruise every where and collect information, and now

having a fair wind he had taken an opportunity to come thither

to get information from the merchantmen of his own country .

. He now waited for the orders of the resident Chief Super­

cargo L'.consul/, on receiving which he would take his departure."
In reply the Governor-general claimed that "it is inexpedient

to allow her to linger about and create disturbance." He

ordered local civil and military authorities "to keep a strict

watch on the said vessel and not allow her to approach the

inner waters," and to urge the consul to hasten the frigate's
47
departure. As soon as he fulfilled his orders and obtained

fresh supplies, Capt. Henley was happy to oblige the Governor­

general.

In his despatches to the Secretary of the Navy, Henley

expressed a lack of surprise over Chinese reaction to his ar­

rival. He explained that the Chinese "from motives of policy

have entertained an aversion to ships of war coming within

their territories. 11 But, Henley added, the Chinese "Have been

latterly roused to a greater aversion than formerly" because

of an incident with the English. In the winter 1816-17 Capt.

Murray Maxwell in H.M.S. "Alceste" had forced his way up to

47
capt. Henley essentially repeated his orders to the
Chinese pilot at Lintin. He had been instructed to proceed "to
Canton in China, report your ship there, and after paying res�ect
to the Government of the place, inform yourself of all American
ships in port, and enter into engagement with their commanders
and supercargoes to convoy them through the Straits safely,
beyond the attacks of the Islanders and nirates, who infest
.
those seas . . . " U.S., Department of the Navy, Letters Sent
by the Secretary of the Navy to Officers, 1798-1868 ("Officers
of Ships of War"), Jan. 1819. This edict of Nov. l , 1820, is
enclosed in U.S., Department of the Navy, Letters Received by the
Secretary of the Navy from Captains, 1805-61 ("Captains' Let-
ters"), Capt. J.D. Henley, Nov. 15, 1820.