making very shrewd observations, and
    putting very pertinent questions, but by no means in a captious or
    cavilling spirit.  Of course their criticisms were sometimes the result
    of imperfect acquaintance with foreign affairs, and it was
    occasionally necessary to remove their scruples by alterations in the
    text which were not improvements; but on the whole, I am bound to say
    that I never treated with persons who seemed to me, within the limits
    of their knowledge, to be more reasonable.’—­See also infra, p. 270.

CHAPTER XI.

FIRST MISSION TO CHINA.  THE YANGTZE KIANG.

DELAYS—­SUBTERFUGES DEFEATED BY FIRMNESS—­REVISED TARIFF—­OPIUM TRADE—­UP
THE YANGTZE KIANG—­SILVER ISLAND—­NANKIN—­REBEL WARFARE—­THE HEN-BARRIER—­
UNKNOWN WATERS—­DIFFICULT NAVIGATION—­HANKOW—­THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL—­RETURN—­
TAKING TO THE GUNBOATS—­NGANCHING—­NANKIN—­RETROSPECT—­MORE DELAYS—­
TROUBLES AT CANTON—­RETURN TO HONG-KONG.  MISSION COMPLETED—­HOMEWARD
VOYAGE.

[Sidenote:  Delays.]

Arriving at Shanghae on the 2nd of September, Lord Elgin found that the Imperial Commissioners whom he came to meet had not yet appeared, and were not expected for four or five weeks.  All this time, therefore, he was obliged to remain idle at Shanghae, hearing from time to time news from Canton which made his presence there desirable, but unable to proceed thither till the arrangements respecting the Treaty were completed.

    Shanghae.—­Sunday, September 5th.—­I wish to be off for England:  but
    I dread leaving my mission unfinished....  I feel, therefore, that I am
    doomed to a month or six weeks more of China.

September 6th.—­It is very weary work staying here really doing for the moment little.  But what is to be done?  It will not do to swallow the cow and worry at the tail.  I have been looking over the files of newspapers, and those of Hong-Kong teem with abuse;—­this, notwithstanding the fact that I have made a Treaty which exceeds everything the most imaginative ever hoped for.  The truth is, they do not really like the opening of China.  They fear that their monopoly will be interfered with.

September 11th.—­I am amused with the confident way in which the ladies here talk of going home after five years with fortunes made.  They live in the greatest luxury,—­in a tolerable climate, and think it very hard if they are not rich enough to retire in five years....  I do not know of any business in any part of the world that yields returns like this.  No wonder they dislike the opening of China, which may interfere with them.

[Sidenote:  Arrival of Commissioners.]