The American Minister Starting for Pekin [Beijing]. Harper's Weekly (10 December 1859): 788. On 20 June 1859, after a battle at the Pei-ho River, the American diplomatic mission anchored in the United States sailing vessel Powhatan, then travelled some ten or twelve miles by flat-bottomed steamer, landed, and made its way to the imperial capital in thirty covered carts provided by the Chinese
The dateline on the story (28 July 1859) suggests that the text and illustrations concerning the visit of the United States ambassador John E. Ward, a Georgia native, and his party to the Chinese imperial capital took some months. "Ours is the third party speaking English that has ever visited this place" (788), the others being British embassies headed by Lord Macartney (1795) and Lord Amherst (1816). — PVA
Bibliography
"Mr. Ward at Pekin." Harper's Weekly (10 December 1859): 788-791.
Last modified 11 July 2004