Page 384 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

370.

European colonialism.

In November 1832, six months after the "Potomac's"

arrival, the "Peacock" with Roberts aboard reached Macao. The

"Potomac," having departed the United States ahead of the "Pea­

cock," had already bombarded Quallah Battoo and left Macao for

Hawaii. Commodore John Downes had remained only a short

period, during which American Consular-agent Charles King re­

56
signed because Downes did not call on him first. The "Pea­

cock" also only stayed long enough to resupply and acquire the
57
English missionary J. Robert Morrison to interpret for Roberts.

For the next forty-two months Roberts visited Cochin China,

Siam, Batavia and the coast of Africa before he returned to

Macao, where he died in June 1836. Rebuffed in Cochin China,

which still paid tribute to China, Roberts had secured treaties

in Siam and Muscat (Arabia). These treaties had little impact

on American commerce, since American traders visited these

countries very infrequently. The Roberts Mission hardly af­

fected the American China trade. Roberts did not even go up

to Canton while he was at Macao. He was not welcome at Canton,

because Americans there wanted no diplomatic or naval agent

causing a disturbance in their affairs at Canton.

56
At Canton, Downes was a guest of Russell & Co. Consular-
agent C.W. King of Olyphant & Co. later wrote an article in which
he argued that consuls should have a "discretionary power" over
naval officers. Chinese Repository, VI, 2 (June 1837), 80. Letter,
A. Heard to S. Russell, May 31, 1832, Heard MSS.
57
Roberts had corresponded with Morrison before he began
the mission. At Canton the English, unaware of Roberts• commis­
sion, surmised that the American naval vessels had come to China
in response to "the probability of hostilities with the Chinese."
During the previous year a crisis had arisen between the English
and Chinese over English refusal to obey Chinese regulations.
Canton Register, V, 8 (Jun. 15, 1832).