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P. 440
426.
Cushing did not reach China until the end of February
1844. American Consul Forbes and the local Chinese authorities
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had been expecting his arrival since December. The voyage had
lasted six months because of delays caused by a fire at Gibralter
aboard the U.S. S. "Missouri," the ship carrying members of the
mission. At this point Cushing decided to send the remaining
three ships of the squadron around Cape of Good Hope while he
traveled through the Mediterranean and Red Seas. He planned
to rejoin the s�Jadron and his suite at Bombay. Taking passage
on British steamers, Cushing visited various Mediterranean ports,
60
on which he wrote detailed reports for the State Department.
At Bombay he boarded the squadron's flagship, the U.S.S. "Brandy
wine," and finally arrived in Macao Roads on February 24.
Cushing decided that he would stay at Macao rather than Hong
Kong, because his presence at the latter might give the impres-
61
sion of close ties with England. Three days later the mission
disembarked at Macao, where they were greeted by W.P. Peirce,
American consular-agent at that port. Peirce immediately noti
fied Consul Forbes at Canton of Cushing•s request that the consul
come to Macao for a conference. Cushing had decided not to travel
59
Consular Despatches: Canton, P.S. Forbes, Dec. 2, 1843.
Chinese Repository, XII, 9 (September 1843), 503.
60
cushing could save only his official papers from the fire.
He lost everything, including a flamboyant uniform ("a blue coat
with gilt buttons, richly embroidered, a white vest, white panta
loons with a gold stripe down the seam, and a chapeau with a
white plume"). Fuess, Life of Caleb Cushing, I, 417, 423-24.
1
Cushing s reports on the fire and on the ports he visited are in
U.S., Department of State, Diplomatic Despatches: China, C. Cush
ing, 1843. Copies of these despatches are also in the Caleb
Cushing MSS, Library of Congress.
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h
ip
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D
D· 1 oma ic espatc es: China, C. Cushing, Feb. 26, 1844.
