They now stated they did not want the letter opened; they only required to know what was desired; whether land to build factories on, privileges of trade, or what? _Envoy._ “No favours or privileges are asked for. Our government does not build factories. Friendly intercourse alone is desired.” _Dep._ “Is commerce desired?” _Envoy._ “That is necessarily included in friendly intercourse between the two countries; which will be for the advantage, not of one, but of both.” _Dep._ “You have now come over an extensive ocean as an envoy. The minister has acted according to the emperor’s gracious wishes of tenderness towards foreigners. He wishes to conclude your affairs happily and satisfactorily; but you persist and determine, of your own accord, to return unsuccessful. Say not that you were not received well and liberally. The fault lies with you!” _Envoy._ “As you refuse our intercourse, and I cannot obtain permission to go to Hué, I must leave shortly. The fault lies not with me, but in the minister’s uncivil treatment. On my return, I shall have to report, that the minister had the presumption to take the business of the mission into his own hands, without making any report to the emperor. How call you such conduct ‘_liberal treatment_?’” _Dep._ “We too have been sent to bring the business of your mission to a determinate point; but your obstinacy leaves us at a loss what to do. We will return in a day or two to the capital, and make a report of the circumstances.” This was said by the two who had arrived on the twenty-sixth. In reply, they were told that the envoy could have nothing to do with their movements; that when quite ready he would leave; but that, when he did so, he would write a protest against the manner in which he had been treated, and would send a copy of such protest to the emperor, and copies to other princes also. At first, not seeming to understand what was meant, they desired that it should be sent to the minister instead of the emperor; but this, they were told, was out of the question. _January twenty-ninth._ Some gentlemen who had been on shore in the course of yesterday, having been asked when the ship would sail, Mr. Morrison visited the deputies this morning, with the following written communication:-- “I hear that you inquired last evening when our ship would sail. I am directed by the envoy to tell you, that if, within six days, the imperial permission be not received for the mission to go to Hué, the vessel will then sail. “The envoy does not act inconsiderately, as deeming this an affair of a trivial nature: but he is necessitated to leave, because the business confided to him, in other places, will not admit of a long delay. “Nor does he consider it a thing of small import, that the minister of commerce, &c., refuses to report his arrival to the emperor, or to afford him the means of presenting the letter.”