Page 439 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

425.

1
China trade had responded to Webster s inquiries about the sit­
uation in China. Cushing also procured material on international

law and diplomacy. By the time the mission sailed in July, he had

quite adequately prepared himself fer conducting negotiations with
1
the Chinese. Cushing s one deficiency was in language, although

in the nineteenth century very few Westerners were fluent in

Chinese. American merchants had recommended the services of

Peter Parker, American medical missionary at Canton, as inter­

preter for the mission because of his familiarity with both
57
Chinese customs and language. Accompanying Cushing as his

secretary was Fletcher Webster, son of the Secretary of State.

Besides Webster and a surgeon, four young gentlemen also joined

the mission as 11unpaid attaches. 11 The latter merely added 11dig-

nity and importance to the occasion. 1 1 Al though Cushing

and his suite planned to embark from Washington in vessels of

the East India Squadron on July 1, they did not leave the United

58
States until July 31.

57
Fuess, "Caleb Cushing, a Memoir," 440-41. Fuess, Life
1
of Caleb Cushing, I, 413-14, 417-18. At Macao Cushing s official
interpreters were Parker and another American missionary, Elijah
C. Bridgman, although Parker did more translating. Cushing him­
.self decided to study the Manchu language, since he beJieved that
language to be spoken at Court. Manchu, unlike Ctinese, had an
alphabet. But the official language of the Imperial Court was
Mandarin Chinese. Although Cushing studied Manchu on his voyage
to China and at Macao, he did not use it. His attempt was indica­
tive of his serious concern for his mission.
58
Diplomatic Instructions: China, May 3, 1843. Fuess,
Life of Caleb Cushing, I, 414-16. Vessels comprising the squad-
ron included: the frigate "Brandywine," the steam frigate "Missouri"
the sloop-of-war "St. Louis," and the brig 11Perry. 11 Members of the
mission besides Cushing and Webster included: Dr. Elisha K. Kane
1
(surgeon), John H. 0 Donnell, Robert L. Mackintosh, John R. Peters
and George R. West.