I have made choice of John W-. Davis, one of our distinguished citizens, to reside near Your Majesty, in the quality of Commissioner of the United States of America. He is well informed of the relative interests of the two countries, and of our sincere desire to cultivate and strengthen the friendship and goyd correspondence between us; and from a knowledge of his fidelity, probity, and good conduct, I have entire confidence that he will be acceptable to Your Majesty, by his constant endeavours to preserve and advance the interest and happiness of both Nations, I therefore request Your Majesty to receive him favourably, and to give full credence to whatever he shall say on the part of the United States, and most of all when he shall assure Your Majesty of their friendship and good wishes for your Canton as the place of presentation because it was as remote from His Majesty as any accessible spot in the 18 provinces, As to giving "full credence" to whatever Mr. Davis had to say on the part of his Chief. His Majesty, the Emperor Tao Kuang, probably believed all that he heard, which at that distance he might safely do. Accompanying the credentials was the translation into Chinese, itself a curiosity. An awkward attempt was made to turn the word "President"? into Chinese sounds by means of the five syllables Po: l-sait'ien-te, and the date is faced by a literal translation of the words "Our Lord," the p: signification of which must have 8 ed the wonder of every Chinese official who ever san it.
The payment of a gratuity secured possession of this relic. which was later submitted to the inspec tion of Hon. S. Wells Williams, Secretary of the U. 8. Legation. Ife informed us that he had himself been present in December 1848 at the presentation of the document to Governor General Hsii, and to Governor Yeh Ming-shen, in 1860 (the same whom the British Government later deported to Cal-cutty, where he died) in the presence of a large concourse of Chinese and American officials at a pretty garden-house belonging to one of the "hong" merchants. In the difficulties which ensued 10 years later (Jan. 1858) the yamen of the Governor General was sacked, and the foreign documents fell into miscellaneous and irresponsible hands. But how this one reached Hsianfu is a mystery which will probably never be solved.
On leaving the capital of Shensi it had been our intention to return by a route entirely untraversed by foreigners, striking north through Brand I pray God prosperity. to have Your} the centre of the province, crossing Majesty in His sao and holy keeping.
Vthe Yellow River and the moun-Written at Washington this 28th day j tains and entering Shansi from the of January, A.D. 1848, west. But in the same inn with Your Good Friend, ourselves we met a Chinese well Janes K. Pork. acquainted with Shensi and its By the President, roads. He informed us that the James BucwaNan. country had been so overrun by Secretary of State. the Mohammedan rebels that little This missive was signed in the remained but the cities, and many palmy days of the Secretary, when of them had been destroyed. These he had not as yet aspired to the cities would afford the only halt-highest height, nor fallen to the {ing places, and by easy stages of deepest depth accessible to an 70, 80, or 90 /i each day, in 12 American statesman. The events of days the Yellow River and the the next decade and a half were mountains could be crossed west of enough to whiten the old man's! Fenchoufu in Shansi. hair, and to cause his hand to tremble!
Dirricutties or TRAVEL.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.