The Hong merchants now and then sent a number of coolies, but they made small impression upon it; and at length, mostly at their suggestion that it was 'Mandarin pigeon,' it was resolved to present a petition at the city gates, which they themselves prepared and we copied.
On the day agreed upon, therefore, the party going were quietly advised and informed at which gate to meet. Taking different streets in small numbers of three or four, all drew towards the 'petition gate,' as we called it, and suddenly with a rush entered it. The surprise of the guards was complete. They hastily closed the ponderous outer gate to prevent the Chinese entering and possibly creating a row. Seeing the petition on red paper held up above our heads, they knew from experience the object of our visit, and forthwith despatched a messenger to the Hoppo's 'Ya-Mun.'[66] Any annoyance caused us by Chinese lookers-on or by any who tried to crowd about us called for prompt 'whipping' by the soldiers, as was always the case, letting foreigners have their own way, and laying it well over the shoulders of their own countrymen who attempted any interference or who did not 'move on' fast enough. It happened that on a previous occasion of petitioning an unpleasant incident occurred, which arose from a fancied insult; blows had been exchanged, and certain words used by an excited member of the foreign party in reference to the soldiers became a tradition, 'Knock them down, friend Olyphant, they are only tea and rice,' and the best of the joke was that the speaker was a Quaker and Mr. Olyphant one of the quietest men in the world, and the last person to strike any one.
Such exhibitions were much to be deplored as encouraging the belief that foreigners were indeed 'unruly devils'--a pugnacious, wild, boisterous people. Presently we heard the sound of the gong and the loud cries of lictors preceding the Mandarin calling out his rank and office as well as keeping the street clear. The space between the large outer and inner gate is the thickness of the wall, about thirty feet, and twelve to eighteen feet broad, the quarters of the guard, about twenty or twenty-five in number, being in recesses on either side, and in this space petitions are received. The Ta-Yin[67] (great man) having entered with other Mandarins and attendants, after salutations and surprise at seeing so many foreigners, they seated themselves on chairs brought by their followers. He then commenced by telling us of the extreme impropriety of entering the gates in opposition to the will of the 'Son of Heaven,' cautioned us to be wary how we did the like again, lest we might check the flow of Imperial benevolence towards all coming from a distance, &c. &c., which was the usual opening formula, when a Linguist being found cut and dried on the spot (sent privately by the Hong merchants), stepped forward, knelt on both knees, and 'handed up' the petition. In the meantime it was a strange sight to see the houses, shop doors, and windows inside the city full to overflow of Chinese, intently looking on in profound stillness and curiosity.