ll allied squadron to force its
way up the Peiho, it was beaten back with terrible slaughter, by a large
Tartar army defending the fortified obstructions raised against its
progress. The British admiral, Hope, after displaying extraordinary
gallantry, was terribly wounded. The allied French and English withdrew,
and awaited reinforcements and the further orders of their governments.
Those governments resolved to enforce the treaty, and conquer a passage
to Pekin. Large forces, comparatively with those of former expeditions
against the Chinese, were sent forth, and such was the attitude of
affairs when the period to which this History is conducted closed.

The treaty of Lord Elgin with the Emperor of Japan did not work
so smoothly as was expected, any more than that with China. The
ratification of the treaty, was effected on the 11th of July, 1858;
soon after, the Japanese government attempted to evade it by seeking to
confine foreigners to a small island about ten miles from Yeddo, and
to establish the same sort of _surveillance_ over them as they formerly
exercised at the Dutch settlement of Decima. They further sought to
establish a new coin as the only one to be used in commercial dealings
with foreigners, but at the same time forbidding its currency among the
natives, so that all payments in the new coin would have to be exchanged
at the government treasury for the old itzabon; and the relative values
fixed by the government produced a depreciation of 66 per cent, on
foreign coins, which, according to treaty, were to be received at their
intrinsic value as metal. Mr. Alcock, the British consul-general, issued
a protest, and stopped the trade. The calm and firm attitude he
assumed had the desired effect. Soon after, a variety of dishonest and
extraordinarily scandalous practices on the part of the British traders
exasperated the Japanese people and government. The interference of the
English consul to restrain the nefarious practices of his countrymen,
and maintain the character of his country, restored matters to a
peaceful aspect.

It is remarkable, that during the state of things recorded in the
foregoing chapters, of British relations with China and Japan, that
a large trade took place. The following is taken from an issue of the
_Chinese Telegraph_ at the close of 1859:--

"The aggregate amount of our trade with China, imports and exports,
including those of India, in 1857, reached L22,122,469, although there