A Fleet Of Useful Gunboats Of Small Draught, Under Captain
Sherard Osborn, Arrived For The Purpose Of Operating Against The Junks In
Shallow Creeks And Rivers.
At the same time, too, came the French
embassador, Baron Gros, charged with a similar mission to Lord Elgin, and
bent on proving once for all that the pretensions of China to superiority
over other nations were absurd and untenable.
On December 12 Lord Elgin sent Yeh a note apprising him of his arrival as
plenipotentiary from Queen Victoria, and pointing out the repeated insults
and injuries inflicted on Englishmen, culminating in the outrage to their
flag and the repeated refusal to grant any reparation for their wrongs.
But Lord Elgin went on to say that even at this eleventh hour there was
time to stay the progress of hostilities by making prompt redress. The
terms were plain and simple, and the English demands were confined to two
points - the complete execution at Canton of all treaty engagements,
including the free admission of British subjects to the city, and
compensation to British subjects and persons entitled to British
protection for losses incurred in consequence of the late disturbances. To
this categorical demand Yeh made a long reply, going over the ground of
controversy, reasserting what he wished to believe were the facts, and
curtly concluding that the trade might continue on the old conditions, and
that each side should pay its own losses. Mr. Wade said that his language
might bear the construction that the English consul, Mr. Harry Parkes,
should pay all the cost himself.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 458 of 704
Words from 124558 to 124819
of 191255
