Early Relations between the United States and China. 113 



May 5th, 1839, when the opium had been given up. Of the 

 surrendered drug 1,540 chests belonged to Americans/^ but the 

 American consul declared them to be merely held in charge for 

 British subjects, and they were surrendered to Captain Elliot, 

 the British superintendent of trade." 



While the foreigners were still confined to their hongs, Com- 

 missioner Lin attempted (April 5th) to get them to give 

 bond to introduce no more of the drug. The co-hong tried to 

 induce the American consul, Mr. Wetmore, and Mr. King, to 

 sign such a paper on behalf of the United States. But the 

 penalties were heavy — death for all on board a ship bringing the 

 drug-, and personal responsibility of the guarantors for all smug- 

 gling, the evidence of two coolies being sufficient to condemn — 

 and the rec^uest was very naturally refused. Snow objected 

 that it would call down on him the "severest censure and pun- 

 ishmejit from his superiors,"^' but gladly agreed to the request 

 that he solicit his government to allow no more opium ships to 

 come.^* The controversy dragged on for several months. 

 Finally on July third a number of American merchants and ship- 

 masters signed the bond in a milder form.^^ 



The English refused to give the bond, and on May 21st, Elliot 

 warned all British subjects to leave Canton. They did so, going 

 to Macao, and when the Chinese troubled them there, to Hong- 

 kong. The Americans now carried on not only their own, but 



^° Foster, Am. Dip. in Orient, pp. 64-73. 



^^ Consular Letters, Canton, II, Mar. 28, 1839, Snow to Lin. 



" Snow to Secy, of State, Apr. 19, 1839. Consular Letters, Canton, II. 

 On April 27th, Commodore Read anchored off Macao with the United 

 States frigate "Columbia," and May 21st, the "John Adams," the other 

 member of the East India squadron, arrived. (J. Sidney Henshaw, 

 Around the World, New York, 1840, 2: 192, says the "Columbia" arrived 

 Apr. 28, but William Meacham Murrell, Cruise of the Frigate Columbia 

 around the World, etc., Boston, 1840, says April 27. This latter date 

 is probably correct.) Their presence gave the Americans confidence 

 (Snow to Sec. of State, May 13, 1839, Consular Letters, Canton, III), 

 and they remained on the coast until August sixth, in spite of a protest 

 from the Hoppo. (Murrell, p. 148. Henshaw, p. 294.) See also Paullin, 

 Diplom. Negot. of Am. Nav. Officers, p. 188. 



'* Snow to Sec. of State, Apr. 19, 1839, Consular Letters, Canton, II. 



"John Slade, Narrative of the Late Proceedings and Events in China. 

 China, 1839, p. 124. 

 Tr.^xs. Conn. Acad., Vol. XXII 8 1917 



