violent than the rest, but no individual could be marked as the actual homicide, though the Chinese still demanded that a man should be given up. It was at length settled that one of the eleven, named Edward Sheen, should remain in custody of the committee: the understanding at first was, that a fine to the relations of the deceased would be sufficient, but on the committee preparing to proceed to Macao, the Government required his being left behind. Captain Rolles now interfered, and declared that if Sheen was not permitted to be taken by the committee to Macao, he should take him on board the Lion, and the point was at length conceded. The local government being puzzled how to proceed, invented a tale in which it was stated that Sheen, while opening an upper window, had dropped by misfortune a piece of wood, which struck the Chinese on the forehead and caused his death. This was sent up to Peking as an official report, and an imperial reply was soon obtained, sanctioning the liberation of Sheen on his paying a fine of about twelve taëls, or four pounds sterling, to the relations of the deceased. This singular transaction proves at once how easily the Emperor may be deceived, and with what readiness the local government can get out of a difficulty. The firm and successful conduct of the committee and of Captain Rolles were much approved, and to the latter, 1,000l. was voted by the Court of Directors.

Early in 1808 information reached India of the probability of ambitious views being entertained by France towards the East, and of the danger to which Macao might be exposed by the vicinity of Manila, if the French should make that Spanish colony their own. In consideration of treaties by which England was pledged to protect Portugal and its settlements against aggression, as well as of the interests which the English themselves had at stake in the neighbourhood of Canton, Lord Minto, having garrisoned the colony

of Goa, by a convention with the Governor of that place, deemed it fit to send an expedition for the protection of Macao, which he apprehended might be threatened by an enemy's fleet. It might reasonably be questioned how far such a measure was well advised, after the experience of the similar expedition just six years before, when it plainly appeared that the Chinese treated Macao as a portion of their empire, and the Portuguese as mere tenants at will: the result at least was an utter failure.

The Portuguese Governor of Macao, with his 200 or 300 starved blacks, could of course pretend to offer no opposition; he in fact soon received an order from Goa to admit the troops; but, under a thin veil of compliance and affected friendship, it soon appeared that the Portuguese were doing every thing in secret to misrepresent the designs of the English to their Chinese masters, by whom they were forbidden to admit any force into Macao, without permission previously obtained. It being determined, however, by the President of the committee, and by Admiral Drury, who commanded the naval force, that the troops should land, a convention was signed on the 21st of September, and they were disembarked quietly on the same day. An order soon came from the Viceroy for the troops to depart; and, when this was not complied with, the trade at Canton was stopped, and provisions denied both to the Indiamen, and to the squadron of his Majesty's ships. An edict of the Chinese observed, " Knowing, as you ought to know, that the Portuguese inhabit a territory belonging to the celestial empire, how could you suppose that the French would ever venture to molest them: if they dared, our warlike troops should attack, defeat, and chase them from the face of the country.'

The Admiral proposed to the Viceroy by letter, that they should have an audience at Canton to accommodate matters, but no answer whatever was returned.

All British subjects were soon after ordered to join their respective vessels, and his Majesty's ships were moved higher up the river. As the Viceroy still refused an audience to Admiral Drury, and declared that he knew no English authority but the Company's chief, the Admiral proceeded to Canton in person, and insisted on an interview, saying, he would be in the city in the course of half an hour. The Viceroy persisted in declining the visit, and the Admiral, instead of persevering in his intentions, returned to his ship.

Some time after this, the boats of all the men-ofwar and Indiamen were manned and armed, for the purpose of proceeding on a second visit to Canton, and forcing a way through the line of Chinese vessels which were moored across the river, and filled with soldiers, in order to prevent the Admiral's approach. On reaching the line, he pulled up in his own boat to address the principal mandarin, through the medium of a Portuguese priest who acted as interpreter; no parley, however, was admitted, and after being fired at for some time, one of the Admiral's men was wounded, when he ordered the signal to be made for attack. The signal was not observed, and ordered not to be repeated. The Admiral then declared his intention not to force the Chinese line, and returned with the boats to the fleet Though a man of undisputed courage (as observed in the evidence before the Commons in 1830), Admiral Drury seems not to have possessed that cool and deliberate judgment which was essential to the success of the business he had been engaged in. The attempt to proceed to Canton in the boats ought either never to have been made, or it should have been carried through. A pagoda was built by the Chinese near the spot, to commemorate their victory over the English.

The trade still continued at a stand, and the Viceroy issued an edict to repeat, that while a single

soldier remained at Macao, no commerce could be allowed. On the 8th of December, it was therefore determined to act on a document lately received from the Emperor, which afforded a fair pretext for relinquishing the point in debate. A convention was concluded in a few days after at Macao, the troops were embarked, and Admiral Drury sailed away in the Russell for Bengal, on the 22d December. Thus after a fruitless discussion of three months, the Chinese ended in gaining their point,--the withdrawal of the troops; and their success was calculated to increase the arrogance by which they had always been sufficiently distinguished. The Viceroy of Canton, however, was disgraced and removed by the Emperor.

The line of measures pursued by the President in China in concert with the Admiral, on the occasion of the expedition, being disapproved in England, he was superseded by a fresh appointment from home. The Chinese, however, did not forget their grudge against Mr. Roberts, and they were encouraged by finding that he had been censured by the Company; while the Portuguese, at the same time, with their usual servility, suggested complaints against him. Soon after he had again succeeded to a seat in the committee, and re turned from a visit to England, the Hoppo in 1813 issued an edict against that gentleman, expressly on account of his measures five years before, and it was declared that he was not permitted to proceed to Canton. Indisposition, it so happened, actually detained him at Macao on that occasion; but the committee were determined to deny the right of Chinese interference in the appointments of the English authorities; and although the Factory reached Canton at the end of September, they would not permit the ships to unload until the interdict against Mr. Roberts should have been withdrawn. On the 22d November, the President addressed a strong remonstrance to the Viceroy on the subject, but before an answer could

be returned, the gentleman, who was the subject of discussion, died at Macao of his illness. The President then declared that the principle on which the committee acted, was in nowise altered by that circumstance; and as the Hoppo issued a paper, in which the local government disclaimed the right of interfering in the Company's appointments, the trade was resumed. The jealous and suspicious character of the Chinese Government was eminently displayed in the year 1813, on the occasion of some presents from England being conveyed to a minister at Peking. Soongtajin, a mandarin of high rank, who had acted as conductor to Lord Macartney's mission, and whose kind and conciliatory conduct to the English on that occasion, as well as when he afterwards filled the office of Viceroy at Canton, had made some of them his warm friends, became at length elevated to the rank of one of the Emperor's Council. It was therefore resolved in England that both as an acknowledgment of past good offices, and an earnest of future ones, a letter and presents should be conveyed to the minister: the person selected for the performance of this service was a Chinese named Ayew, for some time linguist at Canton, and by him the gold box and letter were safely conveyed to their destination. He returned on the 25th August, with a card of acknowledgment from Soongtajin; but not long after his arrival, the linguist was seized by order of the Government, and after a summary trial banished to Tartary, for the crime of illicit dealings with foreign barbarians It was soon after learned that Soongtajin, the minister, had been disgraced, and the present sent back; and it has been since remarked that the unfortunate mandarin, whose amiable character distinguished him above the generality of his countrymen, never afterwards regained his former power, or favour with the Emperor.

The foregoing circumstances came subsequently, in