“Edmund Roberts, envoy from the United States of America, desires to state to your excellency, that he has received the commands of his president, deputing him, a petty officer,[†] to bring a public letter to this effect: ‘I have long regarded the fame of your kingdoms with a desire for friendly intercourse; but I have not previously had an opportunity for obtaining it. I now entreat earnestly for a friendly intercourse. Beyond this, there is no other point I desire.’
“The said envoy presumes to make this statement, praying you to report it to the emperor, that having glanced thereat, he may happily allow him to repair speedily to the capital, and respectfully present the letter,” &c.
The tone of this letter is extremely objectionable, for, besides the servileness of particular expressions, the general language is that of an inferior, (the same idea being often expressed in Chinese by different words, according to the respective ranks of the writer, and the person he addresses;) the letter was therefore immediately rejected; and some of the most offensive expressions, such as “petty officer” and “earnest entreaty,” were pointed out and animadverted on. With the effrontery of falsehood common among the Chinese, they denied that the expressions were those of an inferior; but truth does not form a part of their creed. They were then informed that a letter would be written by the envoy the next day, and that the expressions should be respectful, but not mean or servile. They repeated their desire to see the letter before it was closed, in order to expunge improper words; and insisted on the necessity of their so doing. They were told, that they might see the letter; but that no material corrections could be made at their suggestions, after a fair copy of the letter had been prepared. After some further conversation and dispute concerning points of small import, they returned to the shore, at about eleven o’clock in the afternoon. The old judge had left early in the evening, having become seasick.
January eighteenth. This morning, the deputies came on board by appointment, to receive the letter from the envoy to the minister. They were again accompanied by the judge, who had recovered from his seasickness. Some refreshments were brought, consisting of a bullock, a hog, a few poultry, some rice and wine, which were presented to the envoy and captain, with felicitations on their arrival.
There being some doubt whether the minister of commerce and navigation was the chief minister of state, (although they had asserted he was,) the address of the chief minister was now asked. Before they answered this question, they wished to see the letter; but this being refused, they eventually gave an address the same as yesterday, viz.: “To the minister of commerce and navigation of Cochin-China.” This address was therefore inserted without alteration in the Chinese copy of the letter. In the English, it was altered to “the minister for foreign affairs, commerce and navigation;” he being the same minister called by Mr. Crawford, the “Mandarin of strangers.” The letter was then shown to them, and after a few trivial alterations of single words in the Chinese translation, which were acceded to, they expressed themselves satisfied; it was therefore sealed, and delivered to them to forward. The following is a copy:—
“To the minister for foreign affairs, commerce and navigation, Hué:—
“Edmund Roberts, special envoy from the United States of America, desires to inform your excellency that Andrew Jackson, the president of the United States, wishing to open a friendly intercourse with the emperor of Cochin-China, has sent the United States’ ship-of-war Peacock, commanded by Captain David Geisinger, to his majesty’s dominions.
“And the president of the said United States of America has deputed me his special envoy to his majesty’s court, intrusting me with a letter to his majesty; and has clothed me with full powers to treat, on behalf of the president of the United States, for the important objects which he has in view. I therefore request your excellency to state this to his majesty; and hope that an interview will be granted with the least possible loss of time.
“It was the intention of the commander of the said United States’ ship-of-war to have entered the bay of Turan; but having been driven from thence, after repeated attempts, by adverse winds and currents, he has been compelled at length to enter this port of Vung-lam. As contrary winds and currents still prevail, it is rendered impossible for him to proceed to Turan bay. The undersigned therefore awaits his majesty’s answer here.
“Signed and sealed on board the United States’ ship Peacock, in Vung-lam roads, province of Fooyan, Cochin-China, the eighteenth day of January, A. D., 1833, and of the Independence of the United States, the fifty-seventh.