CHINA WAS A far less welcoming place than Siam as Parkes well knew and Fanny was about to find out. He was going to find himself at the centre of an incident that would lead to war with China and the collapse of a government in Britain. In both countries, he would become an object of vilification. He was fortunate that events would play out in such a way that his reputation would end up enhanced rather than destroyed, although he would be put through the most terrifying experience of his life before he emerged triumphant. He was a nobody in Britain before the war, but after it, his name would be on everybody's lips.

He was returning as acting Consul in Guangzhou, standing in for Alcock who had left on sick leave. Parkes had solicited the post, telling Clarendon of ‘the gratification it would afford me to be entrusted with the charge of the Canton Consulate’, adding persuasively that ‘at a Port where the Consul has to be in constant communication with … numerous native officers … the interests of the Public Service might be advantageously consulted if the officer in charge possessed an available knowledge of the Chinese language’. He was lucky to be taking over from a friend, as Alcock was able to leave the arrangements he had had in place for him, including his servants, ‘a small establishment … but all very good and at moderate wages’. Good servants in China were, of course, like gold dust, and were passed between the ex-pats without, it seems, any thought given to what the servants themselves might want. Alcock told Parkes that he would have a ‘treasure’ in Mr Cook, who had previously been with Bourboulon, the French Minister. He told Parkes that the Bowrings