EMBASSY ANNOUNCED AT CANTON. 
349 
Page 58. — Tidings of the Embassy favourably received by the Chinese 
Government. 
Since sending the first part of this work to the press I have been indebted 
to Mr. Morrison’s Journal for the following account of the ceremony of 
delivering the Earl of Buckinghamshire’s letter, which announced the coming 
of the Embassy to the local government of Canton. 
“ The British government, in conjunction with the Hon. the Court of Direct 
tors of the East India Company, deeming it expedient to send an Embassy 
to China, Earl Buckinghamshire, President of the Board of Controul, wrote to 
the Viceroy of Canton, to announce the intention of His Royal Highness 
the Prince Regent. 
“ His Lordship’s letter arrived in the close of May 1 816. Sir George Staun- 
ton, President of the Select Committee, wrote from Macao to inform the 
local government, and to request a proper conveyance to Canton in order 
to present the letter. 
“ Sir Theophilus Metcalfe, a member of the Committee, Capt. Clavell of 
H. M. ship Orlando, Mr. Morrison, who then acted as Translator and Secret 
tary for the Chinese department to the Select Committee, and Mr. Daniel!, 
a member of the Company’s establishment in China, proceeded to Canton, 
and requested an audience of the Fooyuen *, (the Viceroy then being at 
Court,) which was accordingly fixed to be on the 4th of June, the day after 
our arrival in Canton. 
“ We proceeded in chairs to the office of the Fooyuen, at the gate of which 
we alighted, and were led on the left side of the great hall into an apart- 
ment, in which the principal Hong merchants were waiting to receive us, 
and give us tea. We had sat about ten minutes, during which time it was 
negotiated, whether Sir Theophilus should give the letter into the Fooyuen’s 
hand, or pass it through another person. Sir Theophilus insisted on the 
first, which was granted. At a signal given, the doors of the hall were 
thrown open, a shout raised by the attendants, and a salute of three guns fired. 
The Tartar general, called Tseang-Keunyous, was present on the occasion, 
with a detachment of troops, forming a path up to the hall. The imperial 
Commissioner for foreign trade, called the Hoo-poo, (or Hoppo,) was also 
* Fooyuen is the second officer in a province : he acts for the Viceroy in his absence. 
