on arriving he
was informed that the Futai was not in the camp, that no one knew
where he was, and that Gordon was in a state of furious wrath at the
massacre of the Wangs, which was no longer concealed. Macartney then
endeavoured to find Gordon, but did not succeed, which is explained by
the fact that Gordon was then hastening to Quinsan to collect his own
troops. Baffled in these attempts, Macartney returned, after a great
many hours, to his own camp near the Paotichiaou Bridge, there to
await events, and on his arrival there he at last found the Futai Li
who had come to him for security. Li put into his hands a letter,
saying, "I have received that letter from Gordon. Translate its
contents."

After perusing it, Macartney said: "This letter is written in a fit of
indignation. You and Gordon are and have been friends, and I am also
the friend of you both. The most friendly act I can do both of you is
to decline to translate it. Let me therefore return you the letter
unread."

"Very well," replied Li; "do as you think best, but as I am not to
know the contents, I do not wish to have the letter. Please keep it."

Sir Halliday Macartney kept the letter, which remained in his
possession for some time, until, in fact, he handed it, with an
explanatory account of the whole affair, to Sir Harry Parkes, as will
be explained further on.

After this point had been settled, Li Hung Chang went on to say that
he wished Macartney to go and see Gordon at Quinsan, and speak to him
as follows:--

"Tell Gordon that he is in no way, direct or indirect,
responsible in this matter, and that, if he considers his honour
involved, I will sign any proclamation he likes to draft, and
publish it far and wide that he had no part in or knowledge of
it. I accept myself the full and sole responsibility for what has
been done. But also tell Gordon that this is China, not Europe. I
wished to save the lives of the Wangs, and at first thought that
I could do so, but they came with their heads unshaved, they used
defiant language, and proposed a deviation from the convention,
and I saw that it would not be safe to show mercy to these
rebels. Therefore what was done was inevitable. But Gordon had no
part in it, and whatever he demands to clear himself shall be
done."

I do not gather that Sir Halliday Macartney had any serious misgivings
about this mission when he undertook it. His