Andrew Jenkins to Consul Shepard, February 6, 1879

Mr. Jenkins to Consul Shepard.

Sir: Referring you to my letter of the 1st of November, 1878, I have to give you the following facts:

On the 29th of December, 1878, a boat left Chung Ching (Chinese characters) with 15 packages gull-nuts, weighing 28 peculs. This boat arrived at Kwei Chow (Chinese characters) on the 2d January of this year. On the arrival of the boat at the tax station the transit pass, covering the 15 packages gall-nuts, was presented to the official in charge, but the boatman was informed that the goods could not pass the station until the regular native charges were paid. According to the latest dates which I have from Kwei Chow, January 16, of this year, the goods were not released So you will notice the officer at Kwei Chow has been as good as his word.

I am very sure that the officer in charge at Kwei Chow has received, the letter from the board at Peking to grant protection to the transit passes which have been granted to me to bring produce from Chun Ching, but he has determined to carry out his own idea as stated in my letter of the 1st of November, 1878.

I have to ask your kind assistance, and would recommend as a measure to save time that you will ask his excellency the minister to request the foreign board to send an order for the release of the goods direct to the officer in charge at Kwei Chow, through the Tartar general at Kin Chow (Chinese characters), with orders that he will hand it to the Ichang taotai, who resides at Kin Chow (Chinese characters), for his excellency the taotai to forward to Kwei Chow, as well as the hoard’s usual order to the Szchuen viceroy. A letter sent to the Kwei Chow officials as suggested will reach Kwei Chow in about thirty days (a month), which is a saving of fifty days. I must ask that you will give this case your earliest convenient attention, for besides the loss sustained by the detention of the 15 packages gull-nuts, there are goods waiting to be shipped under the other transit passes granted me in July last, 20 in number.

I am, sir,

Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes a communication in reply:

I have had the honor to receive your dispatch of the 7th instant, in the matter of the transit passes for Szchuen produce taken out by Mr. M. A. Jenkins, at Hankow, stating that you had received my dispatch of the 23d ultimo, stating that upon the 28th December last, Tsusi Chishan, the agent of Mr. Jenkins, entered 15 boxes of gall nuts at the Kwei-Chow Lekin station, which, according to the report of the deputy in charge, were examined and passed the same day; that from the 3d day of August last, when the ten passes were issued at Hankow, down to the 28th December, Mr. Jenkins had presented only these two passes; that he is dilatory in transmitting his business; and that no obstacles have been put in his way, &c. And you add that you are in receipt of information from Mr. Consul Shepard, of Hankow, to the effect that upon the 29th December, 1878, Mr. Jenkins’s agent shipped from Chung-King 15 boxes of gall-nuts; that they reached Kwei-Chow upon the 2d January, 1879; that the transit passes were presented to the deputy for the usual examination and he refused to allow the goods to proceed until the Lekin tax had been paid; that upon the 16th January the goods were still detained at Kwei-Chow with up prospect of being released. You state that the report of Mr. Consul Shepard is diametrically opposed to the statement of the Lekin deputy, and you request me to send stringent orders with all passible speed direct to the Lekin deputy concerned, to release the goods in question at once, &c.

I have the honor to state that upon the receipt of your dispatch, now under reply, I instructed the viceroy of Szchuen to order the Lekin officer at Kwei-Chow to release the goods mentioned at once, and to report his action to the viceroy.

Upon receipt of the last-named officer’s response I will inform you of its nature.

Chester Holcombe, &c., &c., &c.