him to Canton to inquire and act so as thoroughly to remove the source of the evil, for, says he, "if the source of the evil be not clearly ascertained, how can we hope that the stream of pernicious consequences shall be stayed? It is our full hope that the long indulged habit will be for ever laid aside, and every root and germ of it entirely eradicated; we would fain think that our ministers will be enabled to substantiate our wishes, and so remove from China the dire calamity." It was reported in Canton that the monarch, when recounting the evils which had long afflicted his people by means of opium, paused and wept, and turning to Lin, said, "How, alas! can I die and go to the shades of my imperial father and ancestors, until these direful evils are removed!" Such was the chief purpose of this movement on the part of the Chinese government, and Lin was invested with the fullest powers ever conferred on a subject. Although long experience of the ineffectiveness of Chinese edicts generally lead those residing in the country to disregard them as mere verbiage, still to say that they are all insincere and formal because they are ineffectual, is to misjudge and pervert the emotions of common humanity. We sympathize with the emperor and his ministers in their endeavors to stay the progress of this evil; yet when all the powerful restraints and sanctions of the law of God, and a full knowledge of their disastrous effects, have not been able to stay the use of ardent spirits in Christian lands, how much less were the chances of success in this case! Lin appears to have been well fitted for the mission; and if he had been half as enlightened as he was sincere, he would perhaps have averted the war which followed, and been convinced that legalization was the most judicious step he could recommend.

For a week after his arrival, the commissioner was busy making inquiries, and nothing was publicly heard from him; while every one, natives and foreigners, anxiously watched his movements. Captain Elliot wrote to the governor, desiring a “calming declaration" from his excellency respecting the execution before the factories; but it is probable he received no answer, and wishing to dispatch the sloop-of-war Larne, he left the city before Lin published any notice. On the 18th, Lin's first proclamations were issued to the hong-merchants and foreigners; that to the latter required them to deliver up every particle of opium in the store-ships, and to give bonds that they would bring no more, on

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penalty of death. The poor hong-merchants were, as usual, instructed regarding their responsibility to admonish the foreigners, and furthermore were strictly charged to procure these bonds, or they would be made examples of. Three days were allowed for the opium to be given up and the bonds made out, on the last of which, the Chamber of Commerce met. The hoppo had already issued orders detaining all foreigners in Canton, in fact making them prisoners in their own houses; communication with the shipping was suspended, troops were assembled about the factories, and armed cruisers stationed on the river. The Chamber of Commerce wrote to the hong-merchants, through their chairman, W. S. Wetmore, stating that they would send a definite reply in four days, and adding, "that there is an almost unanimous feeling in the community of the absolute necessity of the foreign residents of Canton having no connexion with the opium traffic."

This paper was taken to the commissioner, and about 10 o'clock P. M., the hong-merchants again met the Chamber, and told them that if some opium was not given up, two of their number would be beheaded in the morning. The merchants present, including British, Parsees, Americans, and others, acting as individuals, then subscribed 1037 chests to be tendered to the commissioner, in compliance with his demand; but the hong-merchants returned next morning, saying that this amount was insufficient. In the afternoon, Lin sent an invitation to Mr. Dent, one of the leading English merchants, to meet him at the city gates; who expressed his willingness to go if the commissioner would give him a safewarrant, guaranteeing his return within a day. The hong-merchants returned without him; and the next morning two of them, Howqua and Mowqua, came again to his house with chains upon their necks, having been sent with an express order for him to appear. They repaired to the Chamber of Commerce then assembled, but all soon returned to Mr. Dent's house, where an animated debate took place, which resulted in the unanimous decision on the part of the foreign residents that he should not go into the city without the safe-warrant. The prefect and some other officers being in waiting at the assembly-hall, a deputation of foreigners was sent to state to them the reasons why Mr. Dent did not obey. The prefect immediately sent three officers to Mr. Dent's house to again command him to go into the city; he replied that no resistance would be made if they took him by force, nor was any

disrespect or disobedience intended, but he would not go without a sealed safe-warrant; this the officers said they could not obtain, nor did they dare to ask for it.

His partner, Mr. Inglis, then proposed that himself and three other gentlemen, Messrs. Thom, Fearon, and Slade, should go into the city to state the grounds of his hesitation. This was instantly acceded to, and they were conducted to a large temple inside the walls, where the prefect had already arrived, and four other officers soon made their appearance. Mr. Thom then stated to the judicial commissioner, the ground of Mr. Dent's refusal, and their fears that the yumchai (i. e. imperial commissioner) meant to detain him as a hostage until he had delivered up all the opium. This supposition was doubtless well grounded, for Lin had already engaged two native cooks formerly employed in the factories, and the imprisonment of Mr. Flint under similar circumstances was not forgotten. The reason why he wished for Mr. Dent in particular, in addition to his prominence as a merchant, was that he alone remained of the thirteen foreigners previously ordered out of the country, all the others having, as it happened, left the city. The judge declared that if Mr. Dent was still contumacious, he should be dragged out of his house by force, though he at the same time promised he should return unharmed. This party returned about 9 o'clock, P. M., and near midnight the hong-merchants were again at Mr. Dent's house urging his compliance. It was suggested to Howqua, that as the next day was the Sabbath, in which foreigners did no business, he had better defer any further steps till Monday. This proposition was readily acceded to, and the whole party present separated for the night.

During these proceedings at Canton, Captain Elliot was issuing orders at Macao. On the 22d, he sent a note to the governor, through the sub-prefect (which probably never reached him), asking him if he meant to make war upon English ships and subjects, and expressing his readiness to meet the Chinese officers, and use "his sincere efforts to fulfil the pleasure of the great emperor as soon as it was made known to him." However well such expressions as this might be understood by those acquainted with our usages, still the Chinese could hardly draw any other conclusion than that he had the power as well as the inclination to put down the opium trade, which he certainly could not do;

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and this remark, therefore, tended to deceive them. This note to the governor was followed by a letter to Captain Blake of the Larne requesting his assistance in defending British property and life; and by a circular to all British ships, opium and others, to proceed to Hongkong, and prepare themselves to resist every act of aggression on the part of the Chinese. The next day he issued a second circular to British subjects, detailing the reasons which compelled him to withdraw all confidence in the " 'justice and moderation of the provincial government," and demand passports for all his countrymen who wished to leave Canton, and counselling every one to make preparations to remove on board ship. This circular was written under some excitement, but no one doubted the propriety of his going to Canton at all hazards, though personal danger was not to be apprehended at this time. He arrived there about sunset, Sunday evening, dressed in naval uniform, and closely attended by cruisers watching his movements. The British flag was hoisted, and Captain Elliot conducted Mr. Dent to the Consulate in the most conspicuous manner, where, having summoned a public meeting, he read his notice of the previous day. This proceeding was interpreted by the Chinese as an effort to induce foreigners to abscond, and was stated as the reason for withdrawing the servants. Captain Elliot, however, told the hong-merchants to inform the commissioner that he was willing to let Mr. Dent go into the city, if he could accompany him.

His coming up the river had excited the apprehensions of the Chinese, that he meant to force his way out again, and orders were issued to close every pass around the factories; the act of escorting Mr. Dent had increased this apprehension, for it was virtually taking him out of the commissioner's hands; and as he said, "almost had the hare escaped, the wolf run off," and further orders were therefore given to place a triple cordon of armed boats before the factories, to command every native servant to leave them, and station guards before the door of each hong, and on the roofs of the adjoining houses. By nine o'clock, not a native was left, and the foreigners, about 275 in number, were their only inmates. Patrols, sentinels and officers, hastening hither and thither, with the blowing of trumpets and beating of gongs, added confusion to the darkness and gloom of the night. Had there been a little more excitement, or had the foreigners

made any resistance, the factories might have been pillaged, and their inmates indiscriminately slaughtered; and Lin took credit to himself that he did not let loose the mob upon those who, in his view, so contumaciously resisted his commands; and from one expression in his edict "about calling upon the able-bodied of the people," it is possible that he had thought of such a step.

On the 25th, most of the foreign merchants of all nations signed a paper pledging themselves "not to deal in opium, nor to attempt to introduce it into the Chinese empire:" how many of the individuals subsequently broke this pledge on the ground that it was forced from them, cannot be stated, but part of the firms which signed it afterwards actively engaged in the trade. Capt. Elliot applied for passports for himself and countrymen, and requested the return of the servants, avoiding all mention of the cause of these stringent proceedings; this request, was not, so the prefect's reply affirmed, to be granted till the opium was surrendered. No native was allowed to bring food or water to them; letters could not be sent to Whampoa or Macao, except at imminent risk, and one boatman lost his life for attempting it, though various successful expedients were soon devised for transmitting them the confinement was complete, and had been effected without the least harm. The heavy punishment which had fallen on Kwoh Síping, Ho Laukin, and Fung A-ngan had come nearer to the agents of the traffic; but no arm was lifted against them personally. The same mode of pressure the Chinese were wont to practise upon their own people, was now resorted to in order to compel the delivery of all the opium.

The commissioner next issued an exhortation to the foreigners, urging upon them the delivery of the drug on four grounds, viz., because they were men and had reason; because the laws forbade its use, under very severe penalties; because they should have feelings for those who suffered from using it; and because of their present duress, from which they would then be released. This paper, as were all those issued by Lin, was characterized by a vigor of expression and cogency of reasoning quite unusual in Chinese state papers, but betraying the same arrogance and ignorance which had misled his predecessors. One extract will suffice. Under the first reason why the opium should be delivered up, he says, that otherwise the retribution of heaven will follow them, and cites some cases to prove it.