114 Kenneth S. Latourette, 



the British trade, transhipping British goods from the anchorage 

 at Hongkong and Tongku Bay in the Canton estuary. Exorbi- 

 tant freights were often charged, and some ill will was naturally 

 felt by the English, who had either to pay the sum asked or to 

 abstain entirely from trade.-'' 



The succeeding months were precarious ones for commerce. 

 September nth the British declared a blockade, but withdrew it 

 after five days.^^ A little later the Chinese became alarmed at 

 the growing transhipments from the British "country ships" 

 from India, the chief source of the drug, and October ■14th an 

 edict was issued threatening confiscation for all such acts.-- 

 October 26th another edict commanded the Americans to give a 

 second bond to bring no opium,^^ an act precipitated by an Ameri- 

 can purchase of some of the vessels formerly used as receiving 

 ships for the drug. The consul protested vigorously against the 

 edict since it ordered him to examine each American ship as it 

 entered, and to certify that its products were not English. He 

 suggested that in its place a bond be given by each captain that 

 he had none of the forbidden drug on board.-* Such a bond was 

 given in December of that year.-^ 



In the meantime hostilities were pending between Great 

 Britain and China. The British commanders threatened a 

 blockade. They ordered one in January, 1840, but it was not 

 effective, owing perhaps to the protests of the American consuP^ 

 and to the ineffective British force. Although official notifica- 

 tion of the blockade was not given by Great Britain to the 

 United States until November 19th,-" commerce had become so 

 dangerous by June that the American merchants had left Can- 

 ton.-* Snow himself left in August, putting Warren Delano, Jr., 

 in charge of his office.-^ During actual hostilities American 



^ Slade, Narrative of Late Proceedings and Events in China, p. 117. 



" Niles Register, 57 : 418. 



" Consular Letters, Canton, IIL 



^Ch. Rep., 8:433- 



^* Comm'r and viceroy, order, Dec. 29, 1839, Consular Letters, Canton, IL 



^' Ch. Rep., 8 : 453, 462, 463. Jan., 1840. 



"" Snov;^ to Smith, Jan. 13, 1840, Cons. Letters, Canton, IIL 



^ Lord Palmerston to Stevenson, Nov. 19, 1840. Ms. in State Dep. 



^ Snow to Sec. of State, June 10, 1840, Cons. Letters, Canton, III. 



"-' Ch. Rep., 9 : 3^8. 



