No two men were so unctuously abused; _as if_ the vilifiers themselves had always followed strictly the 'Eight Regulations' under which they lived! What amusement all this created.
By May 2, 15,501 chests had been given up, when the servants were allowed gradually to return, and the whole quantity, 20,283 chests,[77] completed on the 21st. On the 27th Captain Elliot returned to Macao, and on the 30th the opium clipper 'Ariel' left for Suez direct with despatches for the British Government. She returned on April 2, 1840.
Between May 6 and 21 many foreigners were permitted to leave the city, and went to Macao or Whampoa. Captain Elliot, before going himself, on the 22nd issued a notice to British subjects that they also were to leave, and by the end of the month they had left; and there remained no foreigners but Americans, about twenty-five in number. On the 29th I left with all books, papers, &c., not actually required at Canton, in company with six other boats for Macao, containing Parsees and several English, including Doctors Cox and Dickson. On the way down we were joined by four large chop-boats with Messrs. Lindsay & Co.'s establishment, and John Shillaber and others from Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, & Co.'s. The trip was most enjoyable; we dined or passed the day with one another, and arrived nearly at the same time at Macao on the night of June 1. The Mandarins who came on board at Che-Nae and at Heang-Shan were civil as usual, and seemed perfectly indifferent to what had passed at Canton.
The surrender of the 'British-owned opium' was followed by events to which the foreign trade had from its foundation at Canton been a stranger. Now were initiated political relations between the vast and unknown Empire of China and European nations--the first that had existed. No treaty had yet been entered into, except with Russia for regulating its trade and arranging boundaries. Russian and Chinese commercial relations had existed between two frontier towns (separated but by the boundary line) well known as Kiachta and 'Mae-Mae-Ching.'[78]
No Western officer was yet officially recognised, even of the rank of Consul or Vice-Consul, and all communications between one or the other and the Canton Government were through the intermediary of the Co-Hong. The consequences, therefore, that might grow out of the delivery of the opium filled the foreign community with anxiety. The Americans had not delivered any American-owned opium, of which we held at the time of surrender about fifty cases of Turkey, but they determined to remain in the Factories and continue their business. The English on leaving placed theirs in charge of the American houses. A large share of it fell under the control of Russell & Co., and, to facilitate negotiations with its new constituents outside, one of the partners opened an office on board the English ship 'Heroine,' at 'Kow-Lung,' and subsequently, when all foreign vessels were driven away from that anchorage, at Toon-Koo. Several ships of the firm, including the 'Lintin,' were kept running between these places and Whampoa with British goods at thirty to forty dollars per ton, and Indian cotton at seven dollars per bale, and receiving on board no freight unless consigned to the house. A very active business was carried on under the American flag, greatly to the convenience of English friends, as well as to their profit. Teas were the returns for these inward cargoes, which were brought down to the anchorage and shipped from Toon-Koo for England.