he
government there determined to send to Lha-Ssa an ambassador of energy
and prudence, capable of overthrowing the power of the Nomekhan. The
Emperor thought of the Mandarin Ki-Chan, and charged him with this
difficult mission.

Before proceeding further, it will not, perhaps, be superfluous to give a
sketch of this Ki-Chan, a very celebrated personage in China, who has
played an important part in the affair of the English at Canton. Ki-Chan
is of Tartaro-Mantchou origin; he commenced his career as a scrivener in
one of the six grand tribunals of Peking. His rare capacity was soon
remarked, and although he was still very young, he rapidly mounted all
the steps of the magistracy. At the age of twenty-two he was governor of
the province of Ho-Nan; at the age of twenty-five he was its viceroy, but
he was dismissed from this charge for not having been able to foresee an
overflow of the Yellow River, which caused great disasters in the
province that was entrusted to him. His disgrace did not last long; he
was reinstated in his former dignity, and sent, successively, in quality
of viceroy, to the provinces of Chan-Tong-Sse Tchouen, and Pe-Tche-Ly.
He was decorated with the red button, the peacock's feather, and the
yellow tunic, with the title of Heou-Ye (imperial prince). At length, he
was nominated Tchoung-Tang, the highest dignity to which a Mandarin can
ever aspire. They have only eight Tchoung-Tangs in the empire; four
Mantchous and four Chinese; these compose the privy council of the
Emperor, and have the right of direct correspondence with him.

Towards the close of the year 1839, Ki-Chan was sent to Canton, as
viceroy of the province, and with the title of imperial commissioner he
had full powers to treat, in the name of his government, with the
English, and to re-establish the peace which had been disturbed by the
foolish and violent proceedings of his predecessor Lin. That which most
emphatically proves the capacity of Ki-Chan is, that on his arrival at
Canton he recognised the infinite superiority of the Europeans over the
Chinese, and saw that war was impossible. He, accordingly, forthwith
commenced negociations with Mr. Elliott, the English plenipotentiary, and
peace was concluded, on the consideration of the cession of the small
island of Hong-Kong. To cement the good understanding that had been
established between the Emperor Tao-Kouang and Queen Victoria, Ki-Chan
gave the English authorities a magn