After stating that the English "barbarians" had been "pacified" in 1842, and the American and French "barbarians" in 1844, Keying goes on to report that it had been necessary to "shift ground," and change the measures by which they were to be "tethered." "Of course," he says, they must be dealt with "justly," and their "feelings consulted;" but they cannot be restrained without "stratagems"—and thus he explains his "stratagems." Sometimes they must be "ordered" (to obey), and "no reason given;" sometimes there must be "demonstrations" to disarm their "restlessness" and "suspicions; "sometimes they must be placed on a footing of "equality," to make them "pleased" and "grateful;" their "falsehoods must be blinked," and their "facts" not too closely examined. Being "born beyond" (heaven's canopy), the barbarians "cannot perfectly understand the administration of the Celestial dynasty," nor the promulgation of the "silken sounds" (imperial decrees) by the "Great Council." Keying excuses himself for having, in order "to gain their good-will," eaten and drunk with "the barbarians in their residences and ships;" but he was most embarrassed by the consideration shown by the barbarians towards "their women,"[1] whom they constantly introduced; but he did not deem it becoming "to break out in rebuke," which would "not clear their barbarian dulness." He urges, however, the increasing necessity of "keeping them off, and shutting them out." He takes great credit for refusing the "barbarians' gifts," the receipt of which might, he says, have exposed him to the penalties of the law. He did accept some trifles; but, giving effect to the Confucian maxim of "receiving little and returning much," he gave the barbarians in return "snuff-bottles, purses," and a "copy of his insignificant portrait."
He says the "barbarians" have "filched Chinese titles for their rulers:" thus "assuming the airs of great authority," which he acknowledges to be "no concern of ours;" but they will not accept any designation denoting dependency, nor adopt the lunar calendar, nor acknowledge patents of royalty from the "son of heaven." They are so "uncivilized," so "blindly ignorant" of propriety, that to require them to recognize becoming "inferiority" and "superiority," would "lead to fierce altercation;" and after all, he recommends disregarding these "minor details," in order to carry out "an im-*
- ↑ Nothing is less intelligible to a high-bred mandarin than the desire of foreign females to be introduced to him. At Hong Kong, when English ladies were brought to see the ex-commissioner Yeh, he turned away, and refused to look at them, and on their departure, expressed his annoyance and disgust. He was invited at Calcutta to a ball given by the Governor of Bengal. Inquiring what was meant, he was told by his Chinese secretary, that a ball was a sport in which "men turned themselves round, holding the waists and turning round the wives of other men;" on which, he asked whether the invitation was meant for an insult? There was an amusing scene at Canton, when Chinese ladies were for the first time introduced to some of our British fair. The Chinese kept for some minutes tremblingly in the distance, afraid to approach, when one was heard to say to another, "They do not look so very barbarous, after all;" and they moved a little forward to meet their guests; another whisper was heard, "Surely they have learnt how to behave themselves. Is it not wonderful?" and a third voice replied, "Yes! but you know they have been for some time in Canton!"
