Page 388 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

374.
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afford security, for the time, to our countrymen there."

Commodore Read anchored his vessels at Macao on April

28, 1839. By the time he arrived, the crisis had subsided.

Capt. Charles Elliot, the English Superintendent of Trade, had

ordered the English to surrender their opium and deliveries of

the drug had begun. The Americans understood that the Commis­

sioner would shortly allow the chop boats, or lighters, to

travel between Canton and 'Whampoa. This meant they could load

and despatch their vessels. As a result of these circumstances,

when Read announced the Navy's presence at Macao, Consul Snow

advised the Commodore to remain there. The Arnericans at Can­

ton, no longer fearing the Chinese, wanted naval assistance at

Canton only if violence were perpetrated on them. In fact they

did fear that an attempt by the Navy to force its way past the

64
Bogue forts would result in riots at Canton. Nevertheless,
the Americans approved the vessels' presence at Macao. The

crisis had not completely abated and the residents felt secure
65
with American warships ready to protect them if necessary.

63
consular Despatches: Canton, P.W. Snow, Mar. 22, 1839;
Consular Despatches: Singapore, J. Balastjer, Apr. 1, 1839; Con­
sular Despatches: Manila, H.P. Sturgis, Apr. 21, 1839. The
latter consuls sent reports of the situation at Canton, lest those
from Snow not reach the United States. Snow's request for naval
protection did not necessarily reflect the attitude of other Ameri­
cans, as the consul often tended to be very excitable. Once the
naval vessels arrived though, the Americans did not oppose their
presence.
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Foreigners feared that an incident caused by the Navy
would provide an excuse for rioting mobs to plunder the Factories,
in which the merchants stored tremendous amounts of gold and
silver bullion. Taylor, Voyage Round the World, pp. 87-88.

65
Letter, Russell & Co. to J.M. Forbes, May 13, 1839,
Forbes MSS. Consular Despatches: Canton, P.W. Snow, May 13 and
22, 1839.