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the Emperor. He still intended to fulfill his commission to
go to Peking, but Cushing now decided to settle negotiations
first. Finally, on May 4, Ch'eng officially confirmed Ch'i-ying's
appointment as Imperial Commissioner and announced his imminent
arrival. Cushing replied that he felt "particular satisfaction
in the appointment of a statesman of so much ability and
experience as Tsiyeng LCh'i-ying/, to conduct, on behalf of China,
the negotiations between China and the United States . 11 But he
also told the governor that he still planned to present "to the
Emperor, in person, the letters which I bear from the President
11 76
of the United States.
IV
1
Imperial Commissioner Ch i-ying arrived at Canton on
May 31, 1844� He immediately despatched a note of greeting to
Cushing with an apology that he would not reach Macao until he
had settled some affairs at Canton. Finally, on June 12, the
Imperial Commissioner and his suite arrived at Wang-hsia
1
(Wanghia), a Chinese village outside Macao. Ch i-ying decided
not to stay inside the walls of Macao, since "barbarians"
(Portugese) governed the city. On June 18 the Commissioner,
accompanied by a retinue of advisors, minor officials and troops,
ceremoniously visited Cushing at his residence inside Macao.
Cushing related that "the interview was, at his request, a
purely friendly one--no business being transacted, the time being
passed in conversation, in expressions of mutual esteem, and in
76
A copy of the Emperor's edict of Apr. 9 and Cushing's
reply to Ch'eng of May 14 are in Diplomatic Despatches: China,
C. Cushing, May 12, 1844.