LEW CHEW STEATAGEMS. 



187 



CHAPTER IX 



EFFORTS OF AVTHORITIES OF LEW CHEW TO PREVENT A VISIT TO THE PALACE. ALL UNSUCCESSFUL. LANDING FOR THE VISIT. 



PROCESSION. APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. RECEPTION AT THE PALACE. EMBARRASSMENT OF THE REGENT. ENTER- 

 TAINMENT AT THE regent's HOUSE. SAKI. NEW DISHES. COMMODORE INVITES AUTHORITIES TO A DINNER ON BOARD THE 



SUSQUEHANNA. GENERAL IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BY THE VISIT. ESPIONAGE STILL KEPT UP. DAILY EXERCISE OF SAILORS 



AND MARINES. SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS WITH LEW CHEW AUTHORITIES. MISSISSIPPI AND SUPPLY REMAIN AT LEW CHEW. 



SUSQUEHANNA AND SARATOGA LEAVE FOR THE BONIN ISLANDS. DEATH OF AN OPIUM SMOKER ON THE PASSAGE. INHUMANITY 



OF CHINESE. SUNDAY ON BOARD. ARRIVAL AT PORT LLOYD. 



HE determination of the Commodore to return the visit of 

 the regent, at the palace, and nowhere else, had heen seem- 

 ingly acquiesced in hy the Lew Chew dignitary ; but, in 

 truth, he had hut yielded to a necessity. The Commodore 

 liad power to carry out his determination, and the regent 

 deemed it most prudent to concur, with the semblance of 

 politeness, in that which he coxild not prevent. 



This, however, did not induce that functionary and his 

 subordinate officers to spare their efforts in the attempt to 

 escape the much dreaded visit to the palace. Accordingly, 

 they resorted to divers devices and stratagems, too clumsy, however, to he deemed either inge- 

 nious or cunning. In the first place, they begged that the Commodore would return the visit 

 at Napha instead of Shui ; then the effort was made to entrap the commander into a meeting 

 with the regent, which would have been considered a return of the latter's visit. In pursuance 

 of this scheme, the mayor of Napha made a great feast, some days before that named by the 

 Commodore for his visit, and invited him to be present, with the intention of having the regent 

 attend and preside. The invitation was politely declined, on the ground that the storeship, 

 Caprice, was about to be dispatched on the appointed day to Shanghai, and the Commodore 

 would necessarily be occupied. When the Lew Chewans found that the Commodore did not 

 attend, they were determined that he should not, at any rate, lose the feast that had been pre- 

 pared for him, and accordingly sent off to the ship numerous dishes of the intended banquet. 

 These, as a matter of courtesy, were allowed to come on board, and very soon the quarter-deck 

 exhibited various preparations of poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits. The Commodore, how- 

 ever, from considerations of policy, thought it best to be invisible. 



The next device was to appeal to the humanity of the Commodore, and the request was pre- 

 ferred that he would make his visit to the palace of the prince instead of at the royal residence. 



