302 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



limited space. In the governor's attempts to effect these improvements, he was charged by the 

 Chinese with desecrating their ancient burial places. He had received several obscure hints to 

 the effect that his life was in danger, but paid little or no attention to them. In accordance 

 with his usual practice, he was riding in the afternoon on the outskirts of the town, the common 

 resort of equestrians, accompanied by his aid-de-camp, Lieutenant Leite, also on horseback, 

 while a number of other horsemen were not far off, when, as he came to a part of the road 

 skirted by a few bushes, a Chinaman, or perhaps more, as the number was never exactly ascer- 

 tained, rushed upon him from behind them. The governor's bridle was snatched from his single 

 hand, (for he had only one arm, the other having been lost in battle,) and he himself was 

 dragged from his horse behind the ambuscade of bushes, his head cut off and his hand severed, 

 leaving nothing but his maimed and lifeless body for the startled view of the other horsemen 

 who rode up, and eagerly but in vain sought after the assassin. No traces were ever discovered 

 of the dastardly murderer or murderers, and the Portuguese council of Macao, in spite of the 

 strictest investigations, could never get any clue to the authors of the crime. The Chinese 

 authorities, however, it was suspected must have been acquainted with the persons of the villains, 

 as after repeated summons of the Portuguese council of Macao the severed head and hand of the 

 unfortunate governor were sent to the city. This murder occurred only two months after the 

 act of Captain Keppel, which had greatly chagrined the gallant Amaral. 



Tlie engineers having reported, towards the latter end of October, that the machinery of the 

 steamer Powhatan was in good working order, she was sent to take the place of the Susquehanna. 

 This latter vessel had previously relieved the Mississi^Dpi at Whampoa. Each steamer in turn 

 dispatched an officer of marines with a competent guard and one of the boat howitzers to remain 

 at Canton during her stay at Whampoa. The guard was stationed on board the Supply, then 

 lying off the town, while the officer was a guest at the house of some one or other of the 

 American merchants, that he might be in readiness in case of any disturbance at night. All 

 this time, however, there was not the slightest incident that could in any degree justify an 

 opinion that a revolt was seriously contemplated by the Chinese people, and up to the day of tlie 

 departure everything remained as quiet in Canton as at the moment of first sending vessels and 

 a guard to the city. Nor had there been any outbreak, at either of the consular cities, which 

 had in the least affected Americans or foreigners of whatever nation, during the presence of the 

 squadron on the Chinese coast. 



However the Chinese may have quarrelled among themselves and cut each other's throats, not 

 a foreigner conducting himself properly had been in the least degree molested. Before leaving 

 the Cliinese coast, Commodore Perry had succeeded in establishing the most cordial understand- 

 ing with tlie Canton merchants, and, in consideration of the necessity of withdrawing the 

 Supply from that city and the Powhatan from Wliampoa, had determined, at the request of the 

 merchants, to assume the responsibility of hiring and arming a small steamer for the protection 

 of the American residents during his absence. Conformably to this determination, the Com- 

 modore chartered a new and very suitable vessel, the steamboat Queen, for six months, at five 

 hundred dollars a month, with the privilege of extending the term of engagement at the same 

 rate of hire. To this steamer was assigned a sufficient armament, and the command was given 

 to Lieutenant Alfred Taylor, of the Mississippi, with such complement of officers, engineers, 

 sailors, and firemen, as could be spared from the squadron. The Commodore had the satisfac- 

 tion of receiving from the leading American merchants a communication, in which it was stated 



^o 



