3.S4 cook's voyage to dec. 



received on the subject of his mission, was fair and 

 satisfactory ; but, immediately after his departure, 

 an edict was stuck up on the houses of the Europeans, 

 and in the public places of the city, forbidding all. 

 foreigners, on any pretence, to lend money to the 

 subjects of the emperor. 



This measure had occasioned very serious alarms 

 at Canton. The Chinese merchants, who had in- 

 curred the debt, contrary to the commercial laws of 

 their own country, and denied, in part, the justice of 

 the demand, were afraid that intelligence of this 

 would be carried to Pekin, and that the emperor, 

 who has the character of a just and rigid prince, 

 might punish them with the loss of their fortunes, 

 if not of their lives. On the other hand, the Select 

 Committee, to whom the cause of the claimants was 

 strongly recommended by the Presidency of Madras, 

 were extremely apprehensive lest they should 

 embroil themselves with the Chinese government at 

 Canton ; and by that means, bring, perhaps, irrepar- 

 able mischief on the Company's affairs in China. 

 For I was further informed, that the Mandarines 

 were always ready to take occasion, even on the 

 slightest grounds, to put a stop to their trading ; 

 and that it was often with great difficulty, and never 

 without certain expence, that they could get such 

 restraints taken off. These impositions were daily 

 increasing ; and, indeed, I found it a prevailing 

 opinion, in all the European factories, that they should 

 soon be reduced either to quit the commerce of that 

 country, or to bear the same indignities to which the 

 Dutch are subjected in Japan. 



The arrival of the Resolution and Discovery at 

 such a time, could not fail of occasioning fresh 

 alarms ; and, therefore, finding there was no proba- 

 bility of my proceeding to Canton, I dispatched a 

 letter to the English supercargoes, to acquaint them 

 with the cause of our putting into the Tygris, to 



