LORD ELGIN A M. DE BOURBOULON

Hong-Kong, July 3, 1857.

H. M. S. « Shannon ».

Sir, In conséquence of events, the nature and gravity of which are

1 . On a cherché à enlever à Elgin l'honneur de la décision prise pour en attribuer l'initiative à Sir George Grey, gouverneur du Cap, homme distingué d'ailleurs. Le Dr. R. Garnett a fait justice de cette allégation dans l'article suivant : Sir George Grey and the China Expédition of 1857, publié dans le n° d'oct. 1901 de VEnglish Historical Heview, pp. 739-742.

« The importance of the détermination, thus simply announced, can hardly be exaggerated : « Tell Lord Elgin, » wrote Sir William Peel, the heroic leader of the celebrated Naval Brigade, after the neck of the rébellion was broken, « tell Lord Elgin that it was the Ghinese Expedi- « tion that relieved Lucknow, relieved Cawnpore, and fought the battle « of the 6th December. » Nor would it be easy to praise too highly the large and patriotic spirit which moved the heads of the Expédition to an act involving at once so gênerons a renunciation of ail selfish hopes and prospects, and so bold an assumption of responsibility. » (Walrond's Letters and Journal of James, Eighth Earl of Elgin, p. 188.)