All His Time Was Taken Up With The
Military Affairs Of The Province, And He Absolutely Ignored The Proposal
For Holding An Interview Within The City.
The matter had gone too far to
be put on one side in this manner, and Sir John Bowring
Sent his secretary
to overcome, if possible, the repugnance of Commissioner Yeh to the
interview, and in any case to gain some information as to his objections.
As the secretary could only see mandarins of very inferior rank he
returned to Hongkong without acquiring any very definite information, but
he learned enough to say that Yeh denied that Keying's arrangement
possessed any validity. The Chinese case was that it had been allowed to
drop on both sides, and the utmost concession Yeh would make was to agree
to an interview at the Jinsin Packhouse outside the city walls. This
proposition was declared to be inadmissible, when Yeh ironically remarked
that he must consequently assume that "Sir John Bowring did not wish for
an interview." It was hoped to overcome Chinese finesse with counter
finesse, and Sir John Bowring hastened to Shanghai with the object of
establishing direct relations with the viceroy of the Two Kiang. After
complaining of the want of courtesy evinced by Yeh throughout his
correspondence, he expressed the wish to negotiate with any of the other
high officials of the empire. The reply of Eleang, who held this post, and
who was believed to be well disposed to Europeans, did not advance
matters.
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Page 441 of 704
Words from 119811 to 120061
of 191255
