4
Inclosure 3 in No. 3.
Vice-Consul Bird to Consul Parkes.
Whampoa, December 31, 1856.
Sir,
I HAVE heard this morning that, when Murrow's postal-steamer, the "Thistle," which left Whampoa for Hong Kong about 11 o'clock in the forenoon of yesterday, was a little below the first bar, the Chinese passengers murdered all the foreigners on board, consisting (as far as can be ascertained) of the master, mate, two engineers, four coloured seamen, and one Spaniard, a passenger. They set fire to the vessel, which is now on shore about six miles below Whampoa.
I have, &c.
(Signed) ALEX. BIRD
No. 4.
The Earl of Clarendon to Sir J. Bowring.
Foreign Office, March 3, 1857.
Sir,
I HAVE to state to you that I approve of the answer which you returned to the Spanish Consul-General, and of which a copy is inclosed in your despatch of the 6th of January last, with reference to the probable murder by the Chinese of the Spanish Vice-Consul of Macao, with other Europeans, on board the steam boat "Thistle."
I have, &c.
(Signed) CLARENDON.
No. 5 .
Sir J. Bowring to the Earl of Clarendon.—(Received March 16.)
Hong Kong, January 17, 1857.
My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to forward to your Lordship copy of a communication I made to his Excellency Wang, the Viceroy of Fuh-keen and Che-keang, at Foo-chow , and to Eleang, the Viceroy of the Two-Kwang at Soo-chow, and to Chaou, the Acting Governor of Keang-soo, and translation of the reply which I have just received from the first of these high functionaries.
I have, &c.
(Signed) JOHN BOWRING.
Inclosure 1 in No. 5.
Sir J. Bowring to the Viceroy of Fuh-keen, & c., & c.
Hong Kong, December 9, 1856.
Sir,
I HAVE now to forward to your Excellency, through the British Consul, twelve copies of a collection of documents, by which you will be thoroughly informed of the unhappy differences which have arisen between his Excellency the Imperial Commissioner and myself, and which have compelled me to take measures of the most decided character in order to enforce the obligations of Treaties, and to prevent such misunderstandings in future, with their inevitable results, the miseries of the people and the horrors of war.
His Excellency the Imperial Commissioner having refused becoming redress for an undoubted violation of Treaties in the disrespect shown to the British flag, I have been compelled to call upon Her Majesty 's naval Commander-in-chief, who has captured and destroyed the fortresses along the river from the Bogue to Canton, and now holds the city at his mercy. Still, unwilling to visit upon the people the consequences of the unreasonable and pertinacious conduct
