Harvard University - Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School / Heard family. Heard family business records, Volume FP-4, Folder GQ-2-2, and Volume JP-2.
Mss:766 1754-1898. Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School.
154
imperfect memo17 at that . It 18 '11.11 k::nown that a treaty
had
been e1gned
betnen
the
Chinee. CommiulQneu and Lord El ,in ,
the
yeal'
before .
The
ratification was to be exchan8ed at. thil
time .
and Sir Frederie lIruce
had been appo1nted aa
the
Enf:;lhh plenipotentiary. Some d1ecuaB1on had
already taken place ..a to the locality of t1".18 eJ:chan&e, but Sir Frederic
proceeded to
the
Pelho, cle1m1ng
that
the
cerccony could only take place
at. Pekin. He was IlCcOillpanied by
the
AdmIral,
with all
the
force he could
mu.ter, and this included aever&! bundred troop• • I do not know
.
bet~er
any arran&e::>ent
bad
been IlIade by Lord Elgin
that
the ratifications ehould
be exchanged at PU:1n, or Dot. but 1
au.
inclined to think
it
ha4
been ae–
aumed,
'
II.
thout
8
lI¥
apecial lICP'eement . In
All¥
caa..
1
t
au! ted
tl:.e En&lhh
to ineht OD the point , and
it
suited the Chinue equally well to deny
it .
After the force
.11.1
collected in the
G\1lf
not much time W&II wasted in
prel1m1narl.u . The English w8Jlted
&
rew, and they get
1
t~
Thill
nil
.,
reved
b,r
the fact that a despatch Wall tendered to the E:n.glilh cacmander–
In-eh1ef just all hiB farce wal about atarting , and nl refused an the
GroWld that
it
wal tee late.
The
Chineee had barricaded the rlver .,.-1th
beems and chain., an,,"
baA.
armed the forti, althcu,gh thill .,.-aa not te be
IIlIen until
it
wall felt .
The
Chinellll had placed their gunl Ie 811 to
COlver the channel by which the
Engl1l1h
mu.t pau in goil1& into the river .
As
the .A,o;;ericanll aha
had
a treaty to exchal1&e. COI!llledore Tatnall
with hil frigate the Powbatan, baving on board
Ltr.
Ward, the American
minillter, and
hi.
lluite , wat alllo in
waiting
in the Gulf. I have never
beer. able to undentand wll,y the Englith were 110 pere:nptorily refu.ad
acce .. to the river , while the A.':)erlcana were not,
.
A.t
an,y
rate. the
Al..erice.n Legation "'-111 afterwardll admi
t
ted. ur .Yard had chartered a lIIrall
Ene;lish
ate_er,
ti'"
TOllywall, in which
he
could gc 8ll¥Wherll, while the
great draft of water of the Powhatan would keep her far
a~ .
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