Page 389 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

375.

In response to Consul Snow's request, Corn. Read kept

his vessels anchored at Macao. During May and June, although

the English handed up all their opium, they left Canton and

refused to resume trading with the Chinese. At issue was Com­

missioner Lin's demand that the foreign merchants sign a bond

in which they forswore any involvement with opium. The Ameri­

cans agreed to sign the bond and remained at Canton, whereupon

the Chinese eagerly reopened the trade to them (before they

actually signed.) As soon as the Commodore heard of a poten-

tial settlement between Americans and Chinese, he decided the

Stuadron's presence was no longer necessary. Writing to Robert

Bennet Forbes, the chief of Russell & Co. and the unofficial

spokesman of the Americans at Canton, Read explained: "The mom­

ent I hear of the Bond being suspensed with and our Merchants

again pursuing their business quietly & peaceably, I shall feel

myself at liberty to depart." The Commodore added his own belief

that the Americans should not sign the Cormnissioner's bond. He

claimed that "I should not be disposed to put my name to such

an Instrument were I even obliged to return to the United
66
States without a cargo." Disagreeing with Read about the bond,

the merchants felt their cargoes to be of primary importance.

Nevertheless, they did not want his Squadron to leave.

Receiving Read's letter, Forbes wrote back that the trade

was not yet fully restored. He emphasized that Read had stated

66
Letter, Com. G.C. Read to R.B. Forbes, Jun. 26, 1839,
Boston, Museum of the American China Trade, Forbes Family MSS.
Read had received orders from the Secretary of the Navy to sail
to the Society Islands to investigate an incident involving
the American consul.