Sir:

I have the honor to report to the Department that in compliance with the request of Commodore Shufeldt, and in accordance, as I have judged, with the wishes of our government, I have made three visits to Tientsin in order to render assistance in the negotiation of a treaty between the United States and Corea.
In the opinion of both Commodore Shufeldt and myself my presence and assistance were imperatively necessary. The entire business has been conducted in the Chinese language, and mainly with the Viceroy Li Hung-chang. Our representative had no interpreter, and Mr.Waclay, who is I believe, acting interpreter to the Consulate at Tientsin, having been absent from his post-almost continuously since last September. His services could not be secured, and it was found decidedly unsafe to trust to the interpreter who were in the pay of the Viceroy. There were moreover, many important points in the negotiation of a treaty with Corea in which Commodore Shufeldt was good enough to ask for my advice and council, which could only be given effectively by being on the spot where negotiation were conducted.
On my first visit I was absent from Peking six days, on the second, nine, and on the third, twelve. I was in daily communication with Peking, and could have reached here in a few hours had my presence been necessary.

In my opinion, the public interests here have suffered no detriment by these visits to Tientsin, and I trust the negotiations with Corea have been substantially advanced.
I beg the approval of the Department for my action as described herein.
And as these journeys were made safely upon public business, and not with any view to private interests, I enclose a statement of my expenses for the three trips, and request most respectfully to be authorized to draw upon the Department for the amount.

I have the honor to be, Sir your obedient servant.
March 12-17. 23-31. April 11-16 all expenses $ 191.75cent
Peking April 24th, 1882