L30/18/18/5

From James Graham to de Grey, from Grosvenor Place, London:

2 Mar 1835

From: 1835 To: 1835

Received two confidential letters with Canton Gazettes worthy of Cabinet attention especially Lord Ellenborough. Captain Chad - distinguished merit and excellent judgement (1st Lieutenant in Juva under Captain Lambert and on death of Commodore Grant he commanded the naval part of expedition v Burma and Siam). Selected him specially to take Lord Napier to Macao could rely on prudence and on his knowledge of oriental manners etc. Does not support his policy towards China "of hostile demonstrations and menacing remonstrances","unhappily half the Evil is already accomplished". His opinion entitled to respect " a man of tried abilities and of great experience in the moral character and conduct of Eastern Nations". Captain Blackwood nephew by marriage sent on ? by Sir John Gore. Without any order from home gallant officer, inferior in judgement to Captain Chad's. "These officers write in hot blood, after a daring exploit, which had only partially succeeded". (For the background to these letters see M. Collis's 'Foreign Mud', where a detailed account of Napier's abortive Mission of 1834 is given. Unfortunately, the originals are not in this collection).

item

Napier, Francis,
Graham, James,
Lambert,
Grant,
Ellenborough,
Chad,
Blackwood,
Gore, John,
Collis, Maurice

China, Burma, Siam