1860年12月13日，英国驻中国公使布鲁斯（Bruce）给恭亲王的信：赔款首付已收到，应该是50万两多银子--具体是500947.4两，他们雇佣了中国银匠帮他们称银子的份量，负责交付银两的中国官员，命令银匠不许报告那些份量不足的银锭。布鲁斯说，只有等到真实的银子份量确定后才会开出正式的收据。
该份档案有10页，这里英国档案馆只给出一个题要，下面是原文：
Bruce to Prince Kung. Has received first instalment of indemnity, sum of 500, 947.4 taels of silver, and has employed Chinese silversmiths to weigh the ingots. Chinese officials, who delivered the silver, ordered the silversmiths to keep quiet over ingots deficient in weight. Will issue formal receipt only after true weight of silver is ascertained.
然后1860年12月23日，恭亲王回信，对天津官员威胁检查赔款银锭的银匠表示遗憾，将派两名诚实的银商（silver mongers）从北京去与天津的主管（Magistrate，不知怎么翻译）张裕清（译音）一起检查银两：
Prince Kung to Bruce. Regrets that Tientsin officials have intimidated Chinese silversmiths employed to inspect the silver paid as indemnity. Will send two honest silver mongers from Peking to inspect silver in conjunction with Magistrate Chang Yü-ch'ingto Tientsin.
还有另一份档案：是Bruce在1860年11月24日给恭亲王的信，说这第一赔款将于1861年1月9日到期，要求通知广州、潮州（？Ch'ao-chou），厦门、福州、宁波和上海的海关部门，潮州的钱款将转到广州，厦门的转到福州，宁波的转到上海，再从那些地方移交给英国领馆。
Bruce to Prince Kung. First instalment of indemnity is due on 9 Jan 1861. Requests that customs authorities at Canton, Ch'ao-chou, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo and Shanghai be notified of this, that the money at Ch'ao-chou be transferred to Canton, that at Amoyto Foochow, and that at Ningpo to Shanghai, for delivery to British Consuls.
3天后，1860年11月27日，恭亲王给Bruce回信，表示同意将钱从比较小的港口城市，移至较大港口城市来支付赔款，已经通知了相关部门
Prince Kung to Bruce. Agrees that money in small treaty ports should be transferred to major treaty ports for payment of indemnity; has notified authorities concerned.